Created by National Australia Bank (NAB) in partnership with the Foundation for Young Australians and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), Schools First is a three-year commitment to recognise and promote excellence in school community partnerships.

St Francis College has been involved with the Leeton-Narrandera LYNKS program since it started and was able to demonstrate that the community partnership was genuinely collaborative, met an identified need and effectively improved student outcomes.

The partnership will now be up for the national award to be held on November 27.

Program co-ordinator Sue Gavel said the award was unexpected.

"St Francis College principal Brenda King and I both travelled to Sydney for the awards and had a workshop with the other finalists," she said.

"We learned all about what their programs were about and didn't think we even had a shot at winning the state award.

"We are completely overwhelmed by it all, but at the same time very excited."

Originally established to assist "at risk" year 10 students, the program has since developed into a structured workplace experience in a business in the Leeton area or community group for one day a week across a 20-week period.

St Francis, along with 20 other schools in New South Wales, received a $50,000 Schools First local impact award earlier this month.

Schools First head Jodi Cryan praised St Francis for its outstanding achievement.

"At the very heart of Schools First is the belief that we can improve student outcomes through school community partnerships," she said.

"The Leeton-Narrandera LYNKS program has the support of the entire community and is an innovative program that provides structured learning experiences outside of the classroom and clear career pathways for students."

Mrs Gavel said no matter the outcome at the national awards the money already received would allow the program to help students further and to generally improve the program.