The project is celebrating 10 years of helping pupils, particularly those in years 8 and 9, at risk of leaving school prematurely.

The program, partly funded by the Education Department, organises some alternative classes in the semi-rural setting of the Mamre Homestead at StMarys.

``The program is for kids identified as having potential but not meeting it,'' Links co-ordinator Rosemary Anderson said.

``A lack of confidence and self-belief are the main barriers, I find, to achievement.''

Mrs Anderson said peer pressure could also inhibit learning.

``We had this boy here who was just great at maths,'' she said.

``When I asked him why he wasn't doing that well at school, he said that wasn't the way to get on well at school.''

The program also helps recent arrivals in Australia with English and cooking classes.

Last week, State Youth Minister Graham West and local State MPs Diane Beamer and Richard Amery presented $10,000 to Links to Learning.

The visitors toured the homestead and were shown a child-care centre, a farm plot and a classroom that was attended by Sudanese refugees.

Mrs Anderson said Links to Learning succeeded because of its smaller class ratios and because of its unconventional approaches to learning. ``For maths, I tell students we've got this farm plot how many peas will I need to sew? How wide does the ground need to be?'' Mrs Anderson said.

She also said some classes went under the more exciting name of ``secret men's business''.

``We do things in a creative way.''