Lillehammer: Local initiative to enhance reading among children and youth produces positive results

At a time when reading enthusiasm and literacy skills among children and youth in Norway are declining, Lillehammer stands out as an example of how targeted efforts can reverse the trend. Through the project Leseløft Lillehammer (Reading Boost Lillehammer), students in Lillehammer schools experience around 20 literary events during their school years, compared to the national average of 3-4. This has led to increased reading enthusiasm and improved literacy skills among the students.

Leseløft Lillehammer is a collaborative project involving several stakeholders, including Lillehammer schools, Lillehammer Municipality’s School Office, Lillehammer Library, the Norwegian Festival of Literature, World Expression Forum, Innlandet County Library, and Den kulturelle skolesekken (the Cultural School Bag). The project is anchored in Lillehammer Municipality’s new cultural plan for 2024-35, aiming to promote reading enthusiasm and foster as many proficient readers as possible.

The Norwegian Festival of Literature and the World Expression Forum play a central role in this effort. The Norwegian Festival of Literature contributes with an extensive and free literary dissemination program for schools and kindergartens throughout the year through the Pegasus program. The World Expression Forum focuses on freedom of expression projects for youth, which help strengthen their critical thinking and engagement as citizens.

Leseløft Lillehammer has three main focus areas:

  1. Transition from kindergarten to school: Focus on play-based approaches and language stimulation.
  2. Middle school: Varied reading strategies and critical reflection to maintain reading enthusiasm and joy.
  3. Secondary school: Motivation for reading and engagement in societal issues through critical thinking and freedom of expression.

The project has already shown positive results. Students in Lillehammer read better now than a few years ago, and more children and youth borrow books from the library.

“When the school’s reading education is combined with the efforts of the participants in Leseløft Lillehammer, we achieve a synergy effect. Through such collaboration, we achieve more than if we had worked separately,” comments Literature Festival Director Marit Borkenhagen and WEXFO Director Kristenn Einarsson.

“Leseløft Lillehammer is an example of how long-term, coordinated, and research-based efforts can create lasting changes. The Norwegian Festival of Literature and the World Expression Forum are proud to be part of this important work to promote reading enthusiasm and strengthen literacy skills among children and youth in Lillehammer. We aim to spread the knowledge and initiative further across the country and internationally,” Borkenhagen and Einarsson continue.

Reading is the key to knowledge and a prerequisite for democratic development. The focus on reading enthusiasm in Lillehammer has also attracted interest beyond Norway’s borders. The Norwegian Festival of Literature and the World Expression Forum are now looking at the possibilities of contributing to similar projects on a larger scale in Europe together with research environments and organizations from Slovenia, Spain, Germany, and Norway. The international project has the working title “Democracies depend on reading” and is set to launch in the fall of 2025.