ARTIE - Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education
In 2010 Former Origin Greats (FOGS) and the Federal Government's Department of Employment Education and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) partnered to implement a pilot program into six South East Queensland State High Schools. This program has as its central focus improving the attendance, educational engagement and outcomes of Indigenous students. In 2011, the ARTIE Program expanded to include 21 schools throughout Queensland.
ARTIE, an acronym for Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education, takes its name from the original QLD State of Origin Captain and number one FOG, the great Arthur "Artie" Beetson, himself a proud Indigenous man.
The 'ARTIE' program provides an opportunity for Indigenous students attending Queensland secondary schools to participate in a program that encourages and rewards academic, cultural and sporting achievement through engagement and incentive programs. The FOGS (Former Origin Greats) organisation plays a key role in the delivery of this program through the strength of the brand, accessing community leaders and professional bodies, as well as providing links to high-profile past and present sportspeople.
FOGS involvement as part of this program provides an opportunity to influence the outcomes for an entire generation of students to encourage academic achievement and the benefits of obtaining an education. This is a key factor in reversing the cycle of disadvantage and ensuring that students involved in the program are provided with every opportunity to succeed in achieving their goals through education.
The learning program works with both Indigenous male and female students focusing on key objectives including encouraging attendance at school, participation in curriculum, general improvement in literacy and numeracy for all students, cooperation in the school environment with teachers and peers, as well as demonstrating improvements in behaviour and personal development.
The program also promotes the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural identity and awareness amongst its participants, adopting the motto "Inspire, Encourage, Succeed " to form the basis of strategies that aim to improve the schooling endeavours of participating students.
