Adelaide’s Indigenous Programs are helping improve school attendance rates among youth in remote South Australian communities.

The Club, through its Ready, Set, Crow Program, and former champion Andrew McLeod have partnered with the Federal Government’s remote school attendance strategy to make a difference.

The initiative launched last year is based on getting children to school, improving educational outcomes and supporting students and their families to have strong futures.

McLeod runs Adelaide’s Indigenous Programs with the Ready, Set, Crow initiative focussing on Far West Coast and Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands students.

It provides intensive support and mentoring to help students through their studies and in turn, drive increases in school attendance rates, which have long been a cause for concern.

“We provide opportunities for students to be mentored and engaged, and we are fortunate to have our current Aboriginal players involved,” McLeod said.

“Having Eddie Betts, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Charlie Cameron and Anthony Wilson immersed in the programs makes a great deal of difference, as it shows they are real and allows students to get up close and share personal stories with their sporting heroes.

“By using a tailored approach to each student, the results have been outstanding with attendance rates over 90% within the current group.”

Click here to find out more about the Club’s Indigenous Programs

The Club’s vision is to continue mentoring these student’s through their schooling and into employment, with an aim of them becoming mentors and leaders capable of driving further change within their communities.

Club representatives have travelled to Canberra to meet with Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion to discuss the program’s success and how the Crows, as well as the AFL, can act as a catalyst for change in remote communities across the country.