Ten years ago in 2004, the NSWIER organised a well attended convention under the leadership of Associate Professor Alan Watson and the NSWIER Executive Board. The conference attracted a sizeable crowd of about 800 delegates eager to engage in the central issues surrounding literacy education in Australia and abroad. I was pleased to be among the many colleagues who offered help with various practicalities surrounding the conference program. This engagement marked the beginning of my involvement in the activities of the Institutes of Educational Research.