Cowboys’ ‘Try for 5!’

The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys’ ‘Try for 5!’ program has demonstrated sustained improvements in school attendance over its ten-year lifespan.

The community initiative, which leverages the power of the Cowboys’ recognisable brand and player profile, secures its funding and long-term viability by delivering measurable outcomes, particularly among Indigenous students and those in remote regional areas.

Praising the initiative’s long-term influence, Cairns West State School principal, Jason Evert, said: “This data reflects the programme’s long-term influence, particularly for students who began Year 1 in 2019 and are now completing Year 6 with their highest attendance rates yet, ready to step up to high school.”

For the funding partners, the investment is secured by the programs’ proven success in addressing difficult social metrics where government initiatives alone often struggle.

Reinforcing the crucial link between primary school attendance and long-term opportunities, Cowboys Community Foundation CEO, Fiona Pelling, noted: “Good attendance at primary school is crucial. It lays the foundation for academic success, social development, and long-term opportunities.”

The “Try for 5” programs’ strategic value for its key commercial and government partners, including the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), Regional Express Airlines, and the Queensland Government’s Youth Development Partnership Fund, is underscored by hard data.

Overall attendance trend (from Year ca1 to Year 6) across participating schools is up 2.3 percentage points (pp), significantly outperforming the state average of 0.3pp.

In addition, the attendance trend for Indigenous students has surged 4.2pp since 2019, contrasting sharply with the 0.7pp state equivalent increase.

This data provides concrete evidence that the organisation’s community arm is an effective delivery mechanism for government and corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives. The program converts the strong engagement associated with the NRL club into positive education habits, with Cowboys players conducting 65 in-person school visits across 18 schools.

By delivering tangible, long-term educational improvements that significantly outperform state averages, particularly in remote and outer regional schools (up 3.9pp and 2.4pp, respectively), the Cowboys’ organisation has successfully built a sustainable, funded community asset.

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