At St Joseph’s Primary School in Kerang, students are taking part in an initiative that connects their classroom learning with elite sport on the world stage — and sends their encouragement all the way to Glasgow.
Grade 4, 5 and 6 students at St Joseph's Primary School Kerang have been selected as one of just twenty schools across Australia to take part in ‘Borobi’s Mail’, an Art-4-Athletes program run through Commonwealth Games Australia.
The initiative links classrooms with Australian Commonwealth Games athletes preparing for Glasgow 2026. Students are assigned an athlete to research, before writing a personal letter of support and creating a hand-drawn portrait. These artworks and messages will then be delivered directly to athletes during the Games, with the added promise that they will be displayed in the Australian Athletes’ accommodation – a visual reminder of support from home.
In return, athletes are expected to write back to the students later in the year, extending the connection beyond the classroom.
At St Joseph’s, PE teacher Kristy Hayes said the response from students has been immediate and enthusiastic.
“Students are so excited, researching their athlete, writing inspirational messages and advice for them. They are also loving creating the artworks!” she said. “We cannot wait to finish the letter and artworks and parcel them up next week, just in time to be sent to Glasgow!”
Kristy originally entered the school into the program after discovering Borobi’s Classroom, a broader Commonwealth Games Australia education initiative designed to bring sport into learning environments in meaningful, curriculum-aligned ways.
As Commonwealth Games Australia explains, the program is designed to inspire learning through sport by connecting classroom activity with the values of inclusiveness, integrity, respect and excellence.
“Our mission has always been to make learning real, relevant and engaging, and this program does exactly that,” the organisation said. “By linking sport and education, we’re helping educators inspire curiosity, teamwork and pride in Australian identity.”
For students in Kerang, that connection has become very real. Each child has been paired with one of 44 Australian athletes, including well-known swimmers such as Cam McEvoy, Kaylee McKeown, Mollie O'Callaghan and Sam Short, as well as para-athletes and competitors across athletics, gymnastics, judo and more.
The project has become a cross-curricular learning experience, combining physical education, writing, research and visual arts, while also building a sense of personal connection with Australian sporting representatives on the international stage.
With letters now being finalised and portraits carefully completed, the school is preparing to send its parcel to Glasgow — carrying with it messages of encouragement from regional Victoria to the athletes representing Australia on the world stage.