Kicking goals for education
News bulletin: 23 July
Students from across the state will soon be hitting their school books with the help of AFL stars at the new North Melbourne Football Club’s Learning and Life Centre.
“Like the Victorian Government, the North Melbourne Football Club knows how important it is to keep young Victorians interested in education by offering them a range of stimulating and exciting programs,” Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said while presenting a cheque for $150,000 to North Melbourne Chief Executive Officer, Eugene Arocca and Captain Brent Harvey on Tuesday 14 July.
The new Centre will give students the chance to participate in a range of educational, personal development, leadership and healthy living activities with some of the biggest names in AFL. The money presented to the North Melbourne Football Club will go toward fitting out the Learning and Life Centre classrooms with computers and cutting-edge technology for the school students who will visit the club.
Trained teachers will staff the new Learning and Life Centre and up to 50 students will attend the Centre each day from the beginning of next year. They will be put through their paces in a range of subject areas, including literacy, maths and physical education. All lessons will focus on the inner-workings of the football club and will be linked to the Victorian Essential Learning Standards curriculum.
In addition to hosting school visits, the Centre will offer a range of additional education programs for local youths from disadvantaged backgrounds and provide community groups with a state-of-the-art space.
“The Centre will host after-hours homework classes with qualified tutors and teacher aides to help students, especially those from diverse cultural backgrounds,” Ms Pike said.
North Melbourne Football Club Chief Executive Officer, Eugene Arocca, said the Learning and Life Centre will be a unique and innovative facility within an elite sporting club.
“This will be an environment where students from all walks of life can come together to take part in curriculum-based literacy and numeracy programs,” Mr Arocca said.
“It will also become home to many important community organisations involved in improving education to ensure every young Victorian has access to the best opportunities, regardless of their location or cultural background,” Ms Pike said.