Indigenous students at Collie Senior High School will have further mentoring and support from 2020 as the Clontarf Foundations expands to the region.
Last week the state government signed a new $30 million agreement with the not-for-profit organisation allowing the continuation of the program and expansion into four new secondary schools including Collie.
The academy program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys by taping into teenage enthusiasm for sport to initially encourage them to go to school them keep them attending and move into meaningful jobs and have better life opportunities.
Collie Senior High School principal Dale Miller welcomed the announcement and looked forward to welcoming the academy in 2020.
"This new partnership between the Clontarf Foundation and Collie Senior High School is very exciting," she said.
"Students in the Collie community love sports - from footy to cricket, cycling, basketball and more - and their pursuit of sporting excellence goes hand-in-hand with trying to achieve goals in their learning and life.
"These young people are our future, and finding ways to motivate them on and off the field is crucial.
"The Clontarf Academy will be a positive program to inspire students to come to school every day, use the mechanism of sport to develop leadership and life skills, reach their goals and complete school."
The program will allow up to 50 students to have access to a locally based Clontarf mentor who will counsel students on a range of behavioural and lifestyle issues to support the boys developing the values, skills and abilities to complete school.
Minister for Education Sue Ellery said the value of the program was not only to the individual but also to the broader community.
"Providing young Aboriginal people with the best possible education, life and leadership skills is a vitally important endeavour," she said.
"I was pleased to secure this funding for the Clontarf Foundation to run and expand on its programs, reaching more students - and spurring them on to persevere, be resilient and succeed."
