Community Investment team visits Endeavour Clontarf Academy

Members of the MinterEllison Sydney community investment team recently visited Endeavour Sports High School to witness the great work the Clontarf Foundation is doing for the indigenous community through the Endeavour Clontarf Academy operating at the school.

The meeting was arranged through Sydney Associate Daniel Ezekiel, a former student at the school, who reached out to his rugby league coach and former NRL player, Jeff Hardy, to discuss the Foundation’s model and how Clontarf and MinterEllison might collaborate in the future.

The team participated in the early morning games, including quick fire futsal, touch football and basketball, visited the Clontarf Academy room, had breakfast with the students, and were given a tour of the facilities while being briefed on the mission of the Foundation by students and members of staff.

The Clontarf Foundation operates in 95 schools across Western Australia, Northern Territory, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland with about 5,500 indigenous students participating in the program. It exists to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander men. On completion of the program, graduates are assisted in finding employment with specialist employment officers engaged to provide support until graduates become comfortable with their new jobs and surroundings.

The success of the Clontarf Academy program is impressive (using sports and associated disciplines/life skills to keep kids in school and provide assisted pathways to employment along with life-long mentoring).

The Foundation has an impressive list of partner organisations, some of which are key clients of the firm, and include many household names.