The event involved schools in the region providing opportunities for students to develop their interests and skills in writing.

Belinda Brown, assistant principal at Berinba Public School, said “many students were not only writing at home but writing for enjoyment.”

“It was really positive. We’ve done a lot of reading and it was nice to shift the focus,” Ms Brown said.

The initiative came after Binit Binit Learning Community was formed in 2016 by schools in Yass Valley and surrounding areas, which include Yass High, Yass Public, Berinba, Binalong, Boorowa, Gunning, Dalton, Bowning, Wee Jasper and Rye Park.

Binit Binit is an Ngunnawal word for owl, which was approved by the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) in 2016.

Binit Binit Learning Community provides a collaborative approach to opportunities in three areas: high-school transition, creative arts and learning enhancement.

As part of the festival, author Cameron Stelzer visited the region to provide writing activities for students.

“Children engaged in various activities, including continuous books, author visits, vocabulary extension and drama activities,” Ms Brown said.

“The writing that came from children was outstanding because there was purpose to it.”

Binit Binit also held a writers camp in Murrumbateman for the 64 students. It was opened by writer Mel Ziarno, who presented a ‘Boosting Creativity’ workshop.

Kate Barlow, teacher at Yass Public and Binit Binit committee member, said there are already plans to make it an annual event.

“We put the emphasis on writing and gave students lots of different activities to stimulate their writing skills,” Ms Barlow said.

During the camp, students rotated between workshops related to character descriptions, environmental writing, editing, poetry, illustrating, journalism and dreaming.

Later in 2017, Binit Binit will host other events, including an arts showcase, science and maths partnerships with high schools and celebrations of NAIDOC week.