The Ready Set Crow (RSC) team has had another busy year visiting remote communities to forge relationships and promote the importance of education.

Crows legend Andrew McLeod and RSC project officers Eddie Hocking and Mark Mueller recently made trips to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands and Far West Coast region – two of around 10 visits undertaken by the team each year.

The RSC program aims to engage, support, retain and promote the education of remote students by facilitating secondary school opportunities.

Regular community visits are a key pillar of the program, providing the RSC team with the chance to speak to teachers, students and their families about schooling options in Adelaide.

The program then supports students and families who take up the opportunity to experience life in Adelaide, by way of a short term or transitional visit to Wiltja Boarding. 

McLeod said the team looked forward to each trip to the communities.

“When we visit we spend time in the schools discussing a number of topics including the importance of going to school, showing respect in class, taking responsibility for your behaviour, and being a strong leader in the community now and in the future,” McLeod said.

“We also prepare the kids for visiting Adelaide, which can be an uncomfortable experience for some of them.

“Often we host a big barbeque and play sport as a way to connect in with the wider community.

“Many of the students who have received intensive support from the RSC team have shown improved school attendance and engagement which is what we are trying to achieve.

“It is a program that will continue to gain momentum with ongoing relationships and trust built over time, so that when the younger kids reach high school age it feels more normal for them to make the transition to school in Adelaide.”

The Ready Set Crow project is proudly funded by the Australian Government and delivered in partnership with Wiltja Boarding and the Department of Education and Childhood Development.