CNS is part of a collaborative research study investigating strategies to improve teaching and learning outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. It emphasises the establishment of meaningful relationships and connections with Country and localised Indigenous knowledges, histories and experiences. Our researchers and project staff are working with the learning communities connected with eight schools in NSW, to establish the ‘culturally nourishing’ schooling model as central to their current strategic planning and operations. The model is a research-informed framework designed to improve the academic achievements of Indigenous learners while concurrently fostering a strong and healthy cultural identity grounded in the local context.