The Catherine Freeman Foundation

THE PALM ISLAND PROJECT

The inaugural project of the CFF will be with the community of Palm Island – an Aboriginal community of around 4000 into which Catherine’s mother was born. The Island has limited opportunity for its residents, both recreationally and economically and there is a real a desire amongst them for change.

Our aim is to create partnerships and use education, sport, and the arts as pathways to greater opportunity.

Through consultation with the Island’s elders, police, Council and youth workers the following were identified as the building bricks for a brighter future:

To work together to promote education with other philanthropic, government and corporate bodies.
To facilitate scholarships for education, in particular for indigenous girls
To initiate and support projects and activities designed to encourage and reward school attendance and achievement as well as assisting in non truancy initiatives for young children
To promote awareness of harm preventative behaviors
To provide an educational road map for indigenous children from primary, secondary and tertiary/trade, thereby giving young people choices in their lives.
To encourage all islanders to learn through establishment of an indigenous learning centre
To assist the Island with its image –through a Palm Island website

Non Truancy Mountain Bike Initiative in Schools.
Community Spirit’s inaugural project was launched on Palm Island in June 2007 by Catherine Freeman herself – a bike truancy and behavior project. The CFF made available 15 mountain bikes – ten for the Bwgcolman School and five for St Michaels School, for the head teachers Ray Armit and Lil Myrtl to award to the pupils who show the biggest attitudinal change in the following areas: attitude to their peers; behavior in school; attendance; academic achievement and manners. The program ran for two semesters and was open to years 4,5,6 and 7.

We are looking to repeat this initiative in 2008.

Mountain Bike Inititative in Schools.

Our first project was launched on Palm Island in June by Catherine Freeman herself – a bike truancy and behaviour project. The CFF has made available 15 mountain bikes – ten for the Bwgcolman School and five for St Michaels School, for the head teachers Ray Armit and Lil Myrtl to award to the pupils who show the biggest attitudinal change in the following areas : attitude to their peers; behaviour in school; attendance; academic achievement and manners. The programme is running for two semesters and is open to years 4,5,6 and 7.

Catherine Freeman and members of the Cowboys squad will visit Palm Island to present the bikes to the winning children. Each bike will be printed with the CFF logo and the winner’s name.

This is the first of an annual programme of similar collaborations with the two schools on the island and the CFF.