Dick Smith will continue its involvement with the Richmond Football Club, partnering with its Tigers in the Community Foundation in an innovative three-year program, which is committed to helping keep Indigenous students in school throughout Central Australia.

This new partnership worth over $1m between Dick Smith and Richmond builds on a pilot conducted in 2010. The program will incorporate a number of initiatives aimed at increasing school attendance and contributing to building longer term employment pathways.

“We are delighted to be maintaining our association with Dick Smith in this way,” said Richmond’s CEO Brendon Gale.

“As a club, we have a genuine, long-term commitment to improving educational outcomes in Central Australian communities, and it’s great that Dick Smith shares our passion for this.”

The program has been developed in collaboration with the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training and its core focus includes:

•             An Outback Tigers program, managed by a Richmond employee based in Alice Springs, which delivers messages on health, hygiene, student behaviour, physical activity, leadership skills and career plans.

•             Technology in the Territory sessions, where Richmond players speak regularly to students in remote areas via web-cam technology. 

•             Player visits to schools in Central Australia that have demonstrated improved or excellent attendance.

•             Technology rewards (supplied by Dick Smith) and trips to Melbourne and Darwin for students who demonstrate improved or excellent attendance.

•             Opportunities to transition students into work experience and employment with Dick Smith.

Debra Singh, General Manager of Dick Smith, said, “This program is a terrific opportunity for Dick Smith to support the educational outcomes of young Indigenous Australians in Central Australia.  By developing and nurturing skills at primary and secondary level, we can play a significant role in assisting with the transition from school to work.”

More than 20 schools and 3000 students throughout Central Australia will be involved in the program over the next three years.