Former Queensland and Australian Rugby League star Steve Price went one-on-one with ARTIE Students at Ipswich, Logan and Sunshine Coast ARTIE  Schools last week as part of the Former Origin Greats and Australian Government ARTIE Indigenous Program.

The ARTIE program, an acronym for ‘Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education’, enables high profile sportspeople to encourage and reward the academic, cultural and sporting achievements of Indigenous secondary school students.  Steve Price visited the schools to complete a special ARTIE Program project to work one-on-one with selected ARTIE program students who are striving to improve academic and attendance outcomes.


Steve Price met one-on-one with each student for 15 minutes to work with the student to set academic and attendance goals for the upcoming school term.  Price will meet with all students again after 35 days to discuss their progress and if they have achieved their goals he will take them out to lunch.  Steve Price met with 50 students over 4 days across the 8 Schools participating in the ARTIE program in South East Queensland.  Steve Price’s sessions complemented the weekly ARTIE sessions that are currently running in participating schools.

FOGS ARTIE Program CEO Steve Nance said the ‘Steve Price Project’ is an opportunity for students to be inspired by someone they respect.

“Sporting stars like Steve Price are held in very high esteem by high school students, to provide the opportunity for students to meet him to develop personal goals is excellent,” said Steve.

“We have found that working one-on-one with students is very important as each student faces different challenges in achieving success.”

“Steve Price has played Rugby League at the very top level and is very skilled at working with youth so the ARTIE Program is very proud to have him on board as we strive to encourage and reward academic, cultural and sporting achievements of Indigenous secondary school students in South East Queensland,” concluded Steve.

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), the Former Origin Greats ARTIE Program is operating in eight South East Queensland State High Schools in 2010, with plans to expand it into more schools in future years.  Steve Price is an ARTIE Program Ambassador, with the program involving a host of other high profile sports people including Sam Thaiday, Jharal Yow Yeh, Brooke Spence and Shane Walker.   The schools involved in the program include Bundamba, Ipswich, Redbank Plains, Marsden, Woodridge, Loganlea, Beenleigh State High Schools.  An ARTIE Pilot program at Kawana Waters State College will be launched next week.

Photo as seen in Queensland Times