Crows SANFL development player Josh Wittwer is seeing first-hand the impact the Adelaide Football Club’s Indigenous programs are having on youths from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands and the Far West Coast.
Wittwer, who works as a project officer for the Club’s Ready Set Crow (RSC) program together with former player Eddie Hocking, is mentoring a number of students who are eager to progress their education in Adelaide.
One who is excelling is 16-year-old Tyrone Hart from Yalata on the Far West Coast.
A keen footy player, Tyrone visited Adelaide for a transition stay with program partner Wiltja Residential earlier this year after hearing about the program through his school and he hasn’t looked back since.
“Tyrone came to Adelaide for a visit because he wanted to have a better education,” Wittwer said.
“He’s very engaged and driven and he was quickly asked if he wanted to stay in Adelaide full-time, which he accepted.
“He now wants to finish Year 12 so he can study at university.
“Through the Ready Set Crow program, we meet twice a week in a mentoring session to go through his study commitments, work on his leadership and goal setting, and to make sure he is coping with living away from home.
“We generally meet our program participants in their home community before they visit Wiltja, then when they arrive in Adelaide we provide them with guidance and support to ensure they succeed.”
The RSC team works with the Department of Education and Child Development, schools, key education stakeholders and Remote School Attendance Strategy (RSAS) Providers to offer mentoring and support for students looking to transition from remote communities to secondary school study in Adelaide.
This work includes visiting families and schools in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands and the Far West Coast and educating them on the opportunities available. Mentoring and support is then provided when the students make a short trip to Adelaide and if they move down on a full-time basis.
The RSC project is proudly delivered in partnership with the Australian Government.
Click here to learn more about the Club’s Indigenous programs
Tyrone Hart with Ready Set Crow mentor Josh Wittwer
