With school attendance set to take on a new level of priority in the COVID-19 recovery phase, the Cowboys Try for 5! challenge will be kicking in with the support of new program partner, leading global professional services firm Aon.
As Queensland schools return to face-to-face delivery from Monday 25 May, the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys’ school attendance challenge will reactivate with schools and program partners to reward and incentivise attendance five days a week.
The new Aon Try for 5! Challenge will be an intra-school competition between Wulguru State School, Heatley State School and Townsville West State School, where attendance across P-6 will be tracked on the challenge leaderboard, with term prizes for students and families and the major end-of-year prize up for grabs.
Cowboys Chief Executive Officer Jeff Reibel welcomed Aon to the program and the club’s family of community partners.
With everything that’s happened for our school communities through the pandemic, it’s crucial for our program to be helping schools find their rhythm and routine in attendance again.
Jeff Reibel, Cowboys CEO
“We’re very grateful for Aon’s commitment as a partner in this well-established program – this really demonstrates their understanding of the importance of regular attendance and some of the challenges our school communities face.
“Poor school attendance has been linked to lower academic outcomes, early school leaving, substance abuse, poverty, unemployment and negative health outcomes, and with Aon’s support we can continue to address these impacts for our young people.”
David Reid, Aon Regional Director - North Queensland and Northern Territory, said their involvement reflects Aon’s pride in being part of the North Queensland community.
“We are so pleased to be part of the new Aon Try for 5! Challenge with our shared community values at the forefront of both of our organisations,” Mr Reid said.
The Cowboys play a significant role in the community in enabling important programs such as Try for 5! and we look forward to continuing our partnership efforts and deepening our combined contributions to the community.
David Reid, Aon Regional Director – NQ & NT
While Try for 5! attendance challenges paused during COVID-19, the program team have continued an active engagement program with schools, ready to recommence in the post-COVID environment.
The Try for 5! program is working with 18 schools across the North in 2020 with the support of the Australian Government, Queensland Government, Aon, M&J Chickens and Regional Express (REX).
