The Whole of Community Engagement (WCE) initiative commenced in July 2014, led by the Office of Pro Vice Chancellor of Indigenous Leadership at Charles Darwin University (CDU). WCE aimed to build the aspiration, expectation and capacity of six remote and very remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory to participate and achieve in higher education. Using a place-based, Indigenous-led, community development approach, the initiative developed a model that could be applied by other Australian universities and agencies through engaging closely within Indigenous communities and promoting local level management, leadership, decision-making, research and action. The WCE included participatory action research and developmental evaluation approaches. WCE research has shown that at this time the majority of the adult Aboriginal population are missing out on any form of assistance with English language, literacy and numeracy (LLN)--particularly those who are at the lower measures of the scale; and most people, especially those in remote areas, are at that end of the scale. Research evidence supports a 'whole family' approach to literacy and other educational challenges that disadvantaged families and communities face. One model that has emerged and is supported at local level is the community/family learning centre model. This case study draws on the Yuendumu experience of literacy development and socio-cultural learning and has been commissioned to inform discussion and debate and inspire action. This report strongly suggests that the local learning centre is key to improvement, to the embedding of literacy and the maintenance of any successes.