Program pays off for Sunshine Coast school
03 November 2009
Sunny side up ... Maroochydore State School principal Kevin Briggs and SunnyKids CEO Chris Turner celebrate their success in the Schools First State Awards.
Maroochydore State School on the Sunshine Coast has collected a $100,000 state award for a program linking disengaged students and their families to local community services.
The school was the big winner at the inaugural Schools First State Awards ceremony held in Brisbane on October 29.
Through a partnership with local children's charity, SunnyKids, Maroochydore State School has developed the Supporting Children in Primary Schools program which links students and families to services they may require.
Principal Kevin Briggs said the win was absolutely fantastic.
'You don't expect to win these sorts of things especially when you're competing against some bigger schools and other great programs,' Mr Briggs said.
The Supporting Children in Primary Schools program links students' families with about 70 local support agencies.
'Through a facilitator we're able to help families who may need some extra support in areas such as health and housing for example,' Mr Briggs said.
'It is about reducing the barriers to a good education.'
Mr Briggs said the school would use the award to expand the program, possibly to other schools in the area.
Schools First's Jodi Cryan praised Maroochydore State School for its achievements.
'Maroochydore's collaboration with Sunnykids is truly inspiring,' Ms Cryan said.
'Their partnership has helped students' families discover options to better their circumstances and allow their children to engage fully with their education.'
Maroochydore State School, along with 12 other Queensland schools, received a $50,000 Schools First local impact award earlier this month.
The school is now in the running to win the Schools First national award, worth more than $400,000, to be announced on November 27.
Schools First is a three-year commitment by the National Australia Bank, in partnership with The Foundation for Young Australians and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), to reward excellence in school-community partnerships.
For more information on Schools First, including the full list of winners, visit the School First website 
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