Santos Aboriginal Training & Employment Adviser and former AFL star with Port Adelaide and Essendon, Che Cockatoo-Collins, and Santos Indigenous Affairs Manager, Andrew Antony, with students from LeFevre High School at Port's Alberton Oval.
Santos is joining the Port Adelaide AFL club, the Attorney-General’s Department, the SA Aboriginal Sports Training Academy and the SANFL to support the Aboriginal Power Cup and boost leadership programs and opportunities for Aboriginal secondary school children.
The Aboriginal Power Cup football tournament encourages Aboriginal students in their studies, and helps develop life skills such as teamwork, leadership and a healthy lifestyle. A condition of participation in the tournament is that students attend school – last year, school attendance rose 23% among students who took part in the Cup program.
The Cup has been held for the past two years. Santos’ investment of $750,000 will enable the Cup program to expand further over the next three years.
Andrew Antony, Santos’ Indigenous Affairs Manager, represented Santos at the announcement at Power’s Alberton Oval.
“Santos is involved in a number of initiatives in this area and the Aboriginal Power Cup program is a good fit with our strategy that is focused on increasing Aboriginal workplace participation, particularly in the energy sector,” Andrew said.
“We think the program can achieve even more by adding dedicated leadership and transition to employment programs, and we are pleased to be working with the Power and the State Government on the project.”
Port Adelaide players and former club captain and AFL star Gavin Wanganeen will visit schools to take students through a range of educational exercises including team building, leadership, healthy living and career choices.
Filed under:
Education/youth, Indigenous, South Australia