THE FOGS’ successful ARTIE program continues to achieve incredible results in the classroom.

But thanks to the keen eye of a Queensland Olympian, the program is now helping a young Queenslander realise her dream on the athletic track as well.

Former Olympic swimming star Melanie Schlanger began working as a mentor within the FOGS’ education programs in 2008, where she has been talking to Queensland school students about the importance of education and working hard to achieve your dreams.

At the end of 2010, Melanie made one of her visits to Beenleigh State High School to talk to the students there.

After giving her address, Melanie was watching the students at lunchtime and noticed Year 11 student Frances Thomas blitzing the field with her incredible pace during a game of touch footy.

Spying some incredible natural ability, Melanie approached the FOGS staff and suggested setting up some athletics training to help Frances bring out her natural ability.

The FOGS, through Education Programs Co-ordinator Matt Martin, did just that – hitting the phones to see if they could find Frances a coach.

Find a coach they did. But not just any coach. Matt linked Frances up with Sharon Hannan – one of Australia’s leading athletics coaches, and the personal coach of Sally Pearson, Australia’s Olympic silver medallist and Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 100m hurdles.

Frances now trains with Sharon’s squad twice a week, with the FOGS using her scholarship money through the ARTIE program to pay for Frances’ athletic training.

“The scholarship money is supposed to be used for academic-based activities, but when I put it to Geno, he was all for giving it a go to see if it would work and so far, it has been amazingly successful,” Matt said.

“It is a good example of how our mentoring program is identifying hidden talents within these students and giving them the platform to get the best out of them.”

Sharon said she had been impressed by Frances’ willingness to work, and her determination to make the most of this unbelievable opportunity.

“She is going pretty well,” Sharon told Queenslander Magazine. “She came in right at the very end of the season, so that was a little bit hard for her.

“By the time she joined the squad, everyone was pretty much peaking for the season. But she understood what it was about, and was determined to keep at it and keep training hard.

“At the moment, she is concentrating on the 100m and 200m. The main thing we have to do with Frances is keep challenging her.

“We will need a few solid months of training to get a better idea of her true potential, but attitude wise she has shown she wants to try to get the best out of herself. She is fitting into the group really well.“

Another FOGS scholarship recipient holder on the right track for the future is Renee Cremer, who is a Year 12 student and the College President at Kawana Waters State College.

Like all of the FOGS scholarships under the ARTIE program, Renee has been rewarded for her excellence in achievement in her school studies, with the scholarship to help her make the transition to her university studies.

An accomplished public speaker and talented dancer, Renee wants to study politics at Bond University next year.

The funding from the ARTIE scholarship for Renee will be spread over two years, supporting her through her final year of school and helping her make the transition to tertiary studies – covering things like fees, text books, tutoring and driving lessons to get herself to and from university.

“Renee is a girl you just know is going to excel,” Matt said. “Part of her scholarship is going to be rolled over to start her on her way with university fees next year, so she has got a head start there already.

“Both of these girls show that the ARTIE program is not just about attendances and academic results. It is about identifying talented Queensland kids and giving them a hand to get the best out of them to achieve their dreams.

“And these are just two stories out of the ARTIE program. It’s very pleasing that we get these types of feel-good stories on a very regular basis now.

“To see the way that the kids respond to the program and really grab a hold of a new future direction is incredibly rewarding and what the ARTIE program is all about.”

An initiative of the Former Origin Greats and the Australian Government, the ARTIE program works with Indigenous students across South East Queensland high schools on a weekly basis delivering activities to encourage and reward academic, cultural, attendance and sporting achievements.

ARTIE, an acronym for ‘Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education’, involves inspirational young mentors working one-on-one with Indigenous students supported with visits by high profile sports people including Sam Thaiday, Steve Price, Wendell Sailor, Jharal Yow Yeh and Josh Hoffman.

Students at Bundamba, Ipswich, Redbank Plains, Marsden, Woodridge, Beenleigh and Loganlea State High Schools interact through mentoring, classroom and sports team visits, cultural workshops and camps, and an innovative e-learning program featuring blogs, social networking and interactive online learning.

The ARTIE program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and will be delivered by the Former Origin Greats (FOGS) in seven Queensland State High Schools in 2011, with plans to expand it into more schools in future years in partnership with Education Queensland.

But thanks to the keen eye of a Queensland Olympian, the program is now helping a young Queenslander realise her dream on the athletic track as well.

Former Olympic swimming star Melanie Schlanger began working as a mentor within the FOGS’ education programs in 2008, where she has been talking to Queensland school students about the importance of education and working hard to achieve your dreams.

At the end of 2010, Melanie made one of her visits to Beenleigh State High School to talk to the students there.

After giving her address, Melanie was watching the students at lunchtime and noticed Year 11 student Frances Thomas blitzing the field with her incredible pace during a game of touch footy.

Spying some incredible natural ability, Melanie approached the FOGS staff and suggested setting up some athletics training to help Frances bring out her natural ability.

The FOGS, through Education Programs Co-ordinator Matt Martin, did just that – hitting the phones to see if they could find Frances a coach.
Find a coach they did. But not just any coach. Matt linked Frances up with Sharon Hannan – one of Australia’s leading athletics coaches, and the personal coach of Sally Pearson, Australia’sOlympic silver medallist and Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 100m hurdles.

Frances now trains with Sharon’s squad twice a week, with the FOGS using her scholarship money through the ARTIE program to pay for Frances’ athletic training.

“The scholarship money is supposed to be used for academic-based activities, but when I put it to Geno, he was all for giving it a go to see if it would work and so far, it has been amazinglysuccessful,” Matt said.

“It is a good example of how our mentoring program is identifying hidden talents within these students and giving them the platform to get the best out of them.”

Sharon said she had been impressed by Frances’ willingness to work, and her determination to make the most of this unbelievable opportunity.
“She is going pretty well,” Sharon told Queenslander Magazine. “She came in right at the very end of the season, so that was a little bit hard for her.

“By the time she joined the squad, everyone was pretty much peaking for the season. But she understood what it was about, and was determined to keep at it and keep training hard.

“At the moment, she is concentrating on the 100m and 200m. The main thing we have to do with Frances is keep challenging her.

“We will need a few solid months of training to get a better idea of her true potential, but attitude wise she has shown she wants to try to get the best out of herself. She is fitting into thegroup really well.“

Another FOGS scholarship recipient holder on the right track for the future is Renee Cremer, who is a Year 12 student and the College President at Kawana Waters State College.

Like all of the FOGS scholarships under the ARTIE program, Renee has been rewarded for her excellence in achievement in her school studies, with the scholarship to help her make the transition toher university studies.

An accomplished public speaker and talented dancer, Renee wants to study politics at Bond University next year.

The funding from the ARTIE scholarship for Renee will be spread over two years, supporting her through her final year of school and helping her make the transition to tertiary studies – coveringthings like fees, text books, tutoring and driving lessons to get herself to and from university.

“Renee is a girl you just know is going to excel,” Matt said. “Part of her scholarship is going to be rolled over to start her on her way with university fees next year, so she has got a headstart there already.

“Both of these girls show that the ARTIE program is not just about attendances and academic results. It is about identifying talented Queensland kids and giving them a hand to get the best out ofthem to achieve their dreams.

“And these are just two stories out of the ARTIE program. It’s very pleasing that we get these types of feel-good stories on a very regular basis now.

“To see the way that the kids respond to the program and really grab a hold of a new future direction is incredibly rewarding and what the ARTIE program is all about.”

An initiative of the Former Origin Greats and the Australian Government, the ARTIE program works with Indigenous students across South East Queensland high schools on a weekly basis deliveringactivities to encourage and reward academic, cultural, attendance and sporting achievements.

ARTIE, an acronym for ‘Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education’, involves inspirational young mentors working one-on-one with Indigenous students supported with visits by high profilesports people including Sam Thaiday, Steve Price, Wendell Sailor, Jharal Yow Yeh and Josh Hoffman.

Students at Bundamba, Ipswich, Redbank Plains, Marsden, Woodridge, Beenleigh and Loganlea StateHigh Schools interact through mentoring, classroom and sports team visits, cultural workshops and camps, and an innovative e-learning program featuring blogs, social networking and interactiveonline learning.

The ARTIE program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and will be delivered by the Former Origin Greats (FOGS) in seven Queensland State High Schools in 2011, with plans to expand it into more schools in future years in partnership with Education Queensland.