Melbourne City FC has welcomed an election commitment that could help the Club’s charity, City in the Community (CiTC), bring City Futures to more schools across Melbourne’s southeast.
Victorian Labor announced the $1.2 million commitment today at Gleneagles Secondary College in Endeavour Hills. The proposed funding would allow City Futures to more than double the number of schools it works with. City players Quinn MacNicol, Medin Memeti and Beckham Baker attended the announcement.
City Futures pairs football sessions with classroom learning on leadership, respect and personal development, embedded as part of the school timetable. CiTC’s Young Leaders help deliver the sessions, giving students positive, relatable role models and showing them one of the pathways available to them through the Club.
During immersion days at the City Football Academy, ctrl:cyber Campus, students watch training, meet players and staff, tour the facility and take to the Club’s pitches themselves. They also hear from industry professionals about the roles involved in running a football club. Students can be involved on matchdays as ball kids, with volunteer and staff roles in event operations offering further opportunities through the club.
In September, the City Football Academy hosted the second City Futures Cup, bringing together students from five schools. After months in the program, they represented their schools, connected with peers from across the southeast and celebrated their progress.
An evaluation by Federation University’s Collaborative Evaluation and Research Centre found that teachers observed positive changes in students’ behaviour and performance, both academically and on the pitch. Students spoke about growing in confidence and building stronger connections through the program.
CiTC will continue working with schools and partners to create more opportunities for young people through City Futures.
