Members of the Adelaide Crows Foundation made a special visit to the new Whyalla Secondary School this week, putting Year 7 students to the test.

New Adelaide AFLW recruit Niamh Kelly and Crows Foundation STEMfooty manager Katie Gloede visited the school on Tuesday and Wednesday, together with Sarah Constructions CEO Adrian Esplin and Project Manager Terry Kildea.

Sarah Constructions, which built the new super school, was delighted to see the students in action.

About 200 students from eight classes were put through their paces, measuring the trajectory of a football, the length of kicks and monitoring heart rate and reaction activities, as part of the STEMfooty program.

The STEMfooty program makes up 50 percent of the students’ maths and science curriculum this year, combining classroom learning with hands-on experiences to introduce students to the subject which underpin football on and off the field.

While there has been significant growth in STEM-related jobs, there has been a continued decline in student engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

STEMfooty Manager Katie Gloede said introducing students to a program like this at the start of high school was important.

“The program really challenges the students to consider what a science or maths profession looks like,” Gloede said.

“Introducing them to these new ideas opens a world of possibilities for their future and hopefully encourages them to continue to prioritise STEM subjects through the rest of their education.

The Adelaide Crows Foundation, which strives to build a stronger community for children and youth through the power of sport, hosted an afternoon tea and presented a signed AFLW guernsey to the school.

The Foundation’s STEMfooty program is supported by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science.