MEDIA RELEASE – 26 November 2015

Today the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF) is proud to announce that 200 Queensland schools have been successful in Round 7 QATSIF Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) Scholarships. These scholarships, totalling $2,207,000 will assist 1,208 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Students to graduate from Year 12 with a QCE in 2016/17

Round 7 successful schools are:

Metropolitan Region Albany Creek State High School; All Hallows School; Aspley State High School; Balmoral State High School; Bracken Ridge State High School; Bray Park State High School; Bremer State High School; Brigidine College; Bayside State College ; Brisbane School of Distance Education; Brisbane State High School; Bundamba State Secondary College; Cavendish Road State High School; Clairvaux MacKillop College; Coorparoo Secondary College; Corinda State High School; Forest Lake State High School; Glenala State High School; Hymba Yumba Community Hub; Iona College; Ipswich Girls' Grammar School; Ipswich State High School; John Paul College Daisy Hill; Kelvin Grove State College; ; Marist College Ashgrove; Mary Mackillop College; Mitchelton State High School; ; Murrumba State Secondary College; Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology; Redbank Plains State High School; Rochedale State High School; San Sisto College; Sandgate District State High School; St Augustine's College (Augustine Heights); St Augustine’s College Cairns; St Edmund's College; St James College; St Mary's College (Ipswich); St Patrick's College (Shorncliffe); St Peter Claver College; St Thomas More College (Sunnybank); Springfield Central State High School; Sunnybank State High School; Wavell State High School; West Moreton Anglican College; Whites Hill State College; Woodcrest State College; Yeronga State High School;

South East Region Alexandra Hills State High School; Aquinas College Ashmore; Beaudesert State High School; Beenleigh State High School; Boonah State High School; Browns Plains State High School; Canterbury College Waterford; Capalaba State College; Carmel College; Chisholm Catholic College; Cleveland District State High School; Emmaus College (Jimboomba); Flagstone State Community College; ; Mabel Park State High School; Marsden State High School; Marymount College; Merrimac State High School; Pacific Pines State High School; Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School; Park Ridge State High School; Queensland Academy for Science, Maths and Technology; Shailer Park State High School; Silkwood School; Springwood State High School; Robina State High School; Southport State High School; Upper Coomera State College; Varsity College; Point State High School; Wellington Point State High School; Woodridge State High School;

North Coast Region Beerwah State High School; Bundaberg North State High School; Bundaberg State High School; Caboolture State High School; Caloundra State High School; Chancellor State College; Dakabin State High School; Gin Gin State High School; Isis District State High School; Kawana Waters State College; Kepnock State High School; Maroochydore State High School; Maryborough State High School; Morayfield State High School; Mountain Creek State High School; Narangba Valley State High School; Noosa District State High School; North Lakes State College; Pine Rivers State High School; Redcliffe State High School; Riverside Christian College; Shalom College; Southern Cross Catholic College; St Benedict’s College Mango Hill; St Columban's College (Caboolture); St Mary's College (Maryborough); St Patrick's College (Gympie); St Teresa's Catholic College Noosaville; Theodore State School; Tullawong State High School; Urangan State High School; Xavier Catholic College;

Central Queensland Region Barcaldine State School P-12 Campus; Biloela State High School; Burnett State College; Chanel College Gladstone; Emerald State High School; Emmaus College Rockhampton; Gladstone State High School; Glenmore State High School; Good Shepherd Catholic College Mt Isa; Heights College; Holy Spirit College (Mount Pleasant); Longreach State High School; ; Mackay North State High School; Mackay State High School; Marist College Emerald; Moranbah State High School; Moura State High School; Northern Beaches State High School; North Rockhampton State High School; Pioneer State High School Anderson Grove; Rockhampton State High School; Rosedale State School; St Brendan's College (Yeppoon); St Patrick's College (Mackay); St Ursula’s College Yeppoon; Tannum Sands State High School; Toolooa State High School; Yeppoon State High School;

Darling Downs South West Charleville State High School; Clifton State High School; Cunnamulla State School; Dalby State High School - Bunya Campus; Centenary Heights State High School; ; Faith Lutheran College – Plainland; Goondiwindi State High School; Harristown State High School; Kingaroy State High School; Kingston College; Laidley State High School; Lockyer District State High School; Lowood State High School; Murgon State High School; Nanango State High School; Oakey State High School; Rosewood State High School; Saint Mary’s Catholic College Kingaroy; St George State High School; St Mary’s College Toowoomba; St Saviour's College; St Ursula's College (Toowoomba); Stanthorpe State High School; Toowoomba Grammar School; Toowoomba State High School - Lofty Campus; Toowoomba State High School - Wilsonton Campus;

North Queensland Region Charters Towers State High School; Gilroy Santa Maria College; Heatley Secondary College; Ignatius Park College (Townsville); Ingham State High School; Kirwan State High School; Proserpine State High School; Spinifex State College - Mount Isa - Senior Campus; St Anthony's Catholic College (Secondary Campus); St Patrick’s College Townsville; Townsville State High School; William Ross State High School;

Far North Queensland Region Atherton State High School; Cairns State High School; Good Counsel College; Gordonvale State High School; Innisfail State College; Kuranda District State College; Mareeba State High School; Mt St Bernard College Herberton; Mossman State High School; Peace Lutheran College; Smithfield State High School; St Andrew's Catholic College, Redlynch; St Mary's Catholic College Woree; St Monica's College; St Stephen's Catholic College; Tagai State College; Woree State High School;

Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF) is an independent public foundation established by the Queensland State Government in November 2008 to provide a secure funding source in the form of Years 11 and 12 QCE Scholarships for improved educational outcomes for Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. The Public Trustee of Queensland is the Trustee of the Foundation.

QATSIF celebrates the fact that QATSIF Scholarships are contributing to “Closing the Gap” of retention to Year 12 in Queensland.

The QATSIF Board of Advice actively promotes support for its programs to the business community and welcomes ongoing philanthropic support for investing in the education of the next generation of Indigenous Australians.

QATSIF wishes to acknowledge Aunty Ruth Hegarty as a Patron of QATSIF Aunty Ruth knows the history of QATSIF and QATSIF funds first hand and has added her own comment:

I have carefully followed the dedicated work that gives great meaning to the lives (now hundreds) of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from all over Queensland. It is my honour to continue to support QATSIF Scholarships and the students who are helped to achieve results that would otherwise be beyond their expectations. I am optimistic that the future is in good hands. Our youth will not fail us! – Dr Ruth Hegarty

Professor Cindy Shannon continues to chair the QATSIF Board of Advice:

I am enormously proud that seven years later, QATSIF Students, teachers, the Public Trustee, and Community Members all share the educational dream and vision and work closely for the benefit of the students many more of whom are now completing Year 12 and actually “Closing the Gap” on student retention to Year 12 in Queensland. The contribution of QATSIF to this outcome is significant.

The future is education and our young people – Professor Shannon

For further information contact Professor Cindy Shannon, Chair of QATSIF Board of Advice on 32571777 or [email protected]