Crows stars Izak Rankine and Reilly O’Brien visit remote APY Lands to help engage kids in education

Two Crows stars have started their off-season in remote South Australia, delivering a program that hopes to increase school attendance.

Adelaide’s Izak Rankine and Reilly O’Brien with APY Lands kids. Picture: AFC

Adelaide Crows excitement machine Izak Rankine and star ruckman Riley O’Brien visited the state’s remote APY Lands on a mission to engage the local children in their education.

The duo went to the region alongside Adelaide Crows Foundation educators to deliver the Crows on Country program.

Adelaide’s Izak Rankine and Reilly O’Brien with kids from the APY Lands. Picture: AFC

The program aims to translate the kids’ love of footy into an appreciation for the science, technology, engineering and mathematics underlying the sport.

The Crows on Country pilot program was developed in partnership with remote schools and teachers and combines classroom learning with hands-on experiences for the participants to create real life maths and science connections, such as what kind of angle a goal is kicked from.

The program hopes to increase school attendance in the regions.

The five-day trip included visits to Ernabella Aṉangu School, Kenmore Park Aṉangu School, Fregon Aṉangu School and Amata Aṉangu School and the Crows stars engaged in the Fregon Arts Festival, a sports carnival and judged a dance competition.

Adelaide’s Izak Rankine in the APY Lands this week to inspire hundreds of children and youth to get excited about maths and science. Picture: AFC

Adelaide’s Reilly O’Brien was one of the players who went. Picture: AFC

Rankine said the trip had been a great experience.

“To be able to get up here and get on land and amongst the kids has been eye opening, we’re pretty privileged in the city so it’s been great to be able to put some smiles on the local kids’ faces,” he said.

“Judging the dance competition and playing footy with the kids at the sports carnival were definitely the highlights for me.

“To see all of the kids come out of their comfort zone and unite in their dancing was pretty special.”

O’Brien paid tribute to the work of the Adelaide Crows Foundation and said he was glad to be involved.

“It’s been awesome, it’s a very unique experience, beautiful unique landscape and the people have been great,” he said.

“Our Foundation does great things for kids around the state, and it’s been great to be involved with the kids up here, they have loved all of the STEM and sports activities.”

Adelaide’s Izak Rankine and Reilly O’Brien have been making the most of their off-season, travelling to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands this week to inspire hundreds of children and youth to get excited about maths and science. Picture: AFC

Adelaide Crows First Nations program manager Jeremy Johncock said the Foundation was proud to have created the bespoke program for students he said were disadvantaged by rural and remote isolation barriers.

“This is our second trip to the APY Lands this year to visit schools, meet teachers and build connections with the communities,” Johncock said.

“A key focus has been to engage local teachers so they can sustain the program within their school curriculum for the long-term.

“The strength of this program is it combines learning with something many children have a passion for, and having our players attend as role models and connect with the students certainly drives overall engagement.”