English Literature Project Shortlisted for Surabaya's Top Innovation Award (INOVBOYO 2025)

 

    The English Literature Study Program is proud to announce that its student-led innovative project, "Bilingual Comic Books Based on Local Wisdom," has been officially shortlisted for the prestigious Surabaya Innovation Competition (INOVBOYO) 2025, conducted by the Municipal Government of Surabaya.

Project Impact: Boosting Community Literacy

    Led by Prof. Pratiwi Retnaningdyah, Ph.D., the initiative has successfully produced 30 bilingual comic books rooted in local wisdom. These publications are designed to significantly improve literacy culture within the community.

    The project's journey began in 2021 when students from the English Literature and English Education Study Programs, 2020 cohort, were involved in a creative writing workshop guided by Rachel Wang, a Virtual English Fellow from RELO-US Embassy. This initial effort yielded 150 original manuscripts with high publishing potential.

    Prof. Pratiwi further developed this foundation by selecting and curating 30 of these stories that best represented local wisdom.

From Manuscript to Multi-Format Book

    The publication of these 30 stories was made possible through a Unesa research grant for research and innovation in 2024. The funded research, titled 'Developing Leveled Books based on Local Wisdom to Improve Community Literacy Culture,' actively involved students in multiple stages:

• Curating the selected stories.
• Designing and revising the illustrations.
• Developing the accompanying audio versions of the stories.

Integration into Curriculum

    Both the printed and audio versions of the books are now utilized as core materials in courses such as Extensive Reading and Extensive Listening within the English Literature Study Program. Students engage with the materials through:

• Literature circle discussions.
• Read-aloud practice sessions.
• Reviewing the stories and posting their feedback on social media platforms.

 What's Next: Preparing for the Final Presentation

    The project team is currently in the final preparation stage for their presentation before the judges, which is scheduled for November 25, 2025.

    With this major recognition, the bilingual storybook project aims to scale out its implementation by partnering with literacy communities across Surabaya and East Java.

    Let’s wish the team the best of luck for their presentation and for the continued success of this noble literacy project!