Every young person should have the opportunity to discover where education can take them. But for students from remote and very remote communities, tutoring and tertiary study experiences aren't always within reach.
Through NRL Cowboys House, the Cowboys Community Foundation is working to change this, providing an environment where students can access these opportunities while remaining connected to culture, family and community.
More than 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary students call the House home, each arriving with their own educational experience. The NRL Cowboys House Education Program responds with specialised tutoring and culturally sensitive support, whether a student is strengthening foundational skills or moving into more advanced opportunities.
From this starting point, every student is supported to grow from where they are. Strong foundations in literacy and numeracy open options in Year 12, while students looking ahead have the space to extend themselves. Together, this helps tertiary study feel like a realistic next step rather than a distant one.
Seeing the value of this program and its outcomes, CQUniversity joined as a partner in 2025. Their support directly enabled specialised tutoring for our students, funding staffing costs for teachers and resources to deliver the program.
The success seen through the program has led to them recommitting to their partnership with the Cowboys Community Foundation until at least the end of 2029.
Through this partnership, CQUniversity will continue working with the Foundation to provide tutoring and tertiary study experiences, helping students build on their classroom learning and explore where their interests could take them beyond Year 12. These experiences also open conversations about further study earlier in each student's journey, so students can begin shaping their next steps with a better understanding of the options available.
The impact of the program is already reflected in what students go on to achieve. Since opening in 2017, every student who has remained at NRL Cowboys House through to Year 12 has graduated, going on to employment, apprenticeships, traineeships and tertiary education.
Cowboys Community Foundation CEO Fiona Pelling said CQUniversity's continued investment would help students build on their abilities and identify pathways aligned with their aspirations.
"Every young person who comes to NRL Cowboys House brings their own strengths, interests and goals for the future, as well as a unique educational journey," Ms Pelling said.
"Our students come to us with a broad range of learning experiences and needs. Some are performing at or above their year level, while others may arrive with gaps in literacy and numeracy that require more specialised tutoring.
"CQUniversity's investment allows us to provide targeted tutoring that responds to each student's learning journey, building foundational skills while continuing to challenge those who are eager for further progression into tertiary pathways and higher education.
"When students can connect what they are learning today with the possibilities ahead, they can approach their next steps with confidence."
CQUniversity Associate Vice-President North Queensland Region, Kate Harvey, said the renewal reflected the university's commitment to helping young people explore their interests through education.
"Through this partnership, students can build confidence in their learning, experience university life firsthand and develop a greater understanding of the education pathways available to them,” Ms Harvey said.
"We look forward to continuing our work with the Cowboys Community Foundation and supporting students to make informed, purposeful choices about their futures."
The partnership also brings tertiary education to life beyond the House. During a recent excursion to CQUniversity's Townsville campus, students took part in interactive activities, explored new interests and stepped inside a university learning environment. A day on campus turns further study from an abstract idea into something a student can picture themselves doing.
With CQUniversity's renewed support, the next chapter of the Education Program is about widening that view. Every student who walks through the NRL Cowboys House doors will have the chance to test their strengths, experience university life and imagine what comes next.
We can't wait to see this new partnership – and our students – flourish.
