The West Coast Eagles is delighted to announce that Hedland Senior High School is in line to receive a $50,000 grant thanks to the NAB’s Schools First Local Impact Awards.

The Local Impact award has been granted to Hedland Senior School in support of the Kicking Goals program, a unique partnership between the high school, West Coast Eagles, Swan Districts Football Club and BHP Billiton Iron Ore which draws on the appeal of football to guide, teach and inspire students in the remote Pilbara town.

Out of 1565 entries across Australia, Hedland Senior High School was one of 60 winning schools to receive a grant, where the money will be used to expand the already successful Kicking Goals program.

Designed to keep children at school, the program aims to reduce absenteeism, improve high school retention rates and improve behaviours.  The program focuses on a wide range of self improving factors such as:

- encouraging school attendance through increased motivation to participate
- developing individual self-esteem and self-efficacy
- demonstrating the importance of goals and aspiration
- exploring the notions of teamwork and leadership
- demonstrating the importance of health and well-being
- providing a conduit for students to contribute back to their community

These outcomes are achieved through a series of mentoring, sports education and leadership programs which are linked to a rewards and incentive system for years eight to ten students.

Funding from the NAB Schools First Awards program will be used to expand the program to years 11 and 12, and will also help alleviate the financial expenses involved with some of the rewards the students receive for their dedication to the program. This includes travel to participate in a curtain-raiser match before a West Coast Eagles fixture at Subiaco Oval as well as the Melbourne incentive trip. Additional equipment will also be purchased with the money to ensure the program continues to improve and attract participants.

“Winning this award helps to acknowledge the significant impact that this program is having in the high school and community,” said West Coast Eagles Chief Executive Officer Trevor Nisbett.

“The fact that the West Coast Eagles were able to assist the high school with the grant submission is the least we could do in an effort to grow the program so that more children can benefit.

“Thanks must also go to NAB for the generous support of the school and the children through this grant which has kindly assisted the Kicking Goals program in Hedland.”

“We are proud of BHP Billiton Iron Ore’s continued investment towards the Kicking Goals program, but more importantly for the sustainability of the program, it is great to see the expansion that is now possible due to the new support by NAB. 

It will help to ensure that the important educational outcomes the program supports, continues to grow along with the opportunity to offer involvement to more students,” added BHP Billiton Iron Ore Vice President Sustainability, Carl Binning.

Winning this award is testament to the outstanding success of this program. In recent years, the Kicking Goals program has seen a wide variety of positive academic and behavioural improvements among its students. These include:

- lower levels of school truancy
- in 2008, program participants donated more than 200 hours of personal time to community volunteering
- a marked reduction in anti-social behaviour
- Indigenous schools attendance rates climbing 13% (The attendance rates of these students is 30% higher than the general Indigenous student population)
- 45% of Indigenous students showed improvements in numeracy and literacy
- 35% decrease in criminal activity in Port Hedland in the past two years