Gippsland Grammar English teacher Bri Hassett has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Reading Australia Fellowship, securing a national platform to pioneer strategies for developing authentic student writing in the era of artificial intelligence.
The highly competitive fellowship, funded through the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, provides $15,000 to an outstanding Australian literacy educator to undertake a research project designed to deliver national benefits to the teaching profession.
Ms Hassett’s project, titled Writerly Reading: Developing Authentic Australian Student Voices in the Age of AI, will explore how students in years seven to 10 can better understand the craft of writing by engaging deeply with contemporary Australian literature and the creative processes of local authors.
Rather than focusing solely on the final written piece, the research will investigate how secondary students develop their own unique voices, think critically about language, and appreciate the value of human creativity at a time when AI-generated text is becoming commonplace in classrooms.
Working directly with students, Ms Hassett plans to design and trial a classroom unit featuring interviews with Australian authors, ultimately producing a practical teaching resource to be shared across the country through Reading Australia.
“I am delighted and humbled to have been given the opportunity to conduct this research as part of the Reading Australia Fellowship,” Ms Hassett said.
“AI in education is a topic which many of us struggle with on a daily basis, and I hope to contribute resources that can help teachers navigate the challenges it poses.”
Gippsland Grammar principal Dr Paul Walton congratulated Ms Hassett on the national accolade, noting the immediate impact she has made since joining the school.
“It’s a tremendous achievement for Bri to be awarded the 2026 Reading Australia Fellowship for her project,” Dr Walton said.
“She has made an exceptional start to working at Gippsland Grammar, and this is a very much deserved recognition of her passion for teaching and literacy. We look forward to seeing the exciting impact from her research in the future.”
Reading Australia is a major national initiative that champions the teaching of homegrown literature by providing curriculum-aligned classroom resources for schools nationwide.
Once finalised, Ms Hassett’s resource framework will be integrated into the national program, helping educators navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI while continuing to foster critical thinking and authentic student voices.
