North Melbourne Football Club’s award winning not-for-profit, The Huddle, has again been recognised as an industry leader with the Tasmanian Community Fund (TCF) committing a major grant to its wide-ranging programs and initiatives.
e-Huddle will be rolled out across 100 Primary and Secondary schools across Tasmania, in partnership with the Beacon Foundation to strengthen students’ knowledge and use of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEMs) through the influence of sport.
e-Huddle is an Australian-first, integrating STEMs with five of Australia’s most popular sports, iconic clubs and athletes to bring more relevance to the school curriculum in the classroom. e-Huddle will include free teacher and student’s resources aligned to the Australian Curriculum, supported by film resources to help teachers engage their students in a fun, accessible and meaningful way.
In addition, a series of ‘career stories’ will be produced featuring staff from sports to bring real world relevance to the curriculum topics and to inspire and motivate young people to set goals and raise their aspirations. Career stories showcase the diverse range of jobs, career pathways and skill sets in the sports industry.
General Manager of Community Engagement at the North Melbourne Football Club, Cameron McLeod, said funding will allow The Huddle to strengthen education outcomes and career pathways for more than 30,000 students from grades 3 to year 12 across Tasmania.
“This is a truly significant announcement for the Tasmanian community,’ McLeod said.
“We are delighted to have been recognised for our innovative approach to leverage the influence of sport to strengthen education and inspire brighter futures across Tasmania.”
e-Huddle will be available to schools throughout the State from early 2018 in partnership with Spirit of Tasmania, the Beacon Foundation and the City of Hobart.
Spirit of Tasmania CEO Bernard Dwyer said “The Huddle’s award winning approach to help young people learn, grow and belong to their community will make a significant difference to the attainment rates of young Tasmanians by helping to add value to the way they are educated.”
“The first of a series of lesson plans will feature players from the North Melbourne FC, with a priority to promote female participation including leadership – on and off the field”, Dwyer said.
Scott Harris, CEO of the Beacon Foundation said “we have been really impressed by The Huddle and North Melbourne Football Club’s passion and commitment for education outcomes and inspiring young people throughout Tasmania to reach their full potential.”
“e-Huddle will be available via the Beacon Foundation’s cutting-edge on-line technology and compliment tools and resources available for teachers to support their students in the classroom”, Harris said.
The Tasmanian Community Fund is an independent Fund that supports and strengthens Tasmanian communities by distributing funds to those communities.
“We congratulate the TCF board for the work they are doing to significantly improve the lives of many individuals and communities across the state through the grants it provides,” McLeod added.
