Two new smart education boards will revolutionise the way students at NRL Cowboys House tackle their education outside school hours, with the interactive digital displays installed in the Boys and Girls Learning Centres.

Sourced and installed by new Friends of the House, Frontier Voice and Data, the purchase of the boards was made possible by the Australian Government Department of Education’s Emerging Priorities Grant, supporting projects that assist school communities to respond to emerging priorities in school education, including meeting the ongoing challenges of COVID-19.

The 86" CommBox Interactive Classic Smart Touchscreen displays utilise the latest in touch technology, and will offer students and staff access to documents, videos, apps and the web at their fingertips.

The Girls Learning Centre, sponsored by Variety – The Children’s Charity, and the Boys Learning Centre, sponsored by Wilson Security will each house a smart board for use during term, while also helping students remain connected to their studies and peers when back home in community.

Frontier Voice and Data Townsville Director Asa Cutts said connecting students with the CommBox products as a learning aid was a great addition to the House’s education facilities, with panoramic video conferencing cameras and portable loudspeakers also enabling students and staff to engage with others in remote communities.

"Seeing the functionality in these displays as a learning aid really helps young people remain engaged and attentive in the classroom, or wherever they are connecting from, to help provide a positive impact," he said.

“The concept of a new 86” interactive learning display not only engages them in class but also helps open their minds to the endless possibilities in our ever-changing world of technology.

"Our goal was not only to support these young people in their learning and give NRL Cowboys House teachers the tools to do so, but also to connect them with their families.

“Frontier’s connection to Townsville and North Queensland extends past the services that we provide businesses across Australia and aims to give back to our community in any way we can.”

CommBox Head of Customer Success & Experience Tina Tupou and her team supplied the displays and supported hardware delivery and installation by Frontier.

The Frontier Voice and Data team then provided in-person training to House education staff, and even showed some of the students the ropes, while joined by the CommBox team via video.

The operational training helps NRL Cowboys House staff unlock the potential of the technology and highlighted the endless learning possibilities through the smart boards.

NRL Cowboys House Education Facilitator Angela Stocks said the smart boards are playing an important role in empowering teachers.

“The Commbox Classic has incredible Android onboard features, optional Windows 10, as well as working effortlessly and seamlessly with any platform or software the teachers choose,” she said.

"Teachers can run programs from their computer straight to the Commbox, allowing students to enlarge documents for ease of viewing while also having the ability to modify and enhance the same document with ease.

“Students are much more engaged in study and enjoy participating in the variety of interactive activities.”