An ongoing partnership between Melbourne Victory and Parkville College is continuing to help students reach for the stars.
Parkville Youth Justice Centre is a maximum security setting that houses children as young as 12 years old who have been affected by many forms of abuse, neglect and trauma.
Archie Thompson, Rashid Mahazi and Daniel Georgievski connected with students during a visit to the Parkville Youth Justice Centre, offering support and leadership inside and outside of the classroom.
During classroom visits, the players were engaged with students to promote learning around culture, identity, resilience and striving to meet goals.
Football already leads the world for equity and diversity in relation to participation, therefore discussions involving treating all people with respect, creating a culture of high expectations and a zero tolerance to negative language, came with ease.
At Parkville, students are also encouraged to express themselves with music and the arts.
Leading by example, Mahazi wowed the students with his own musical talents too, singing and playing the guitar.
Concluding with a loud round of applause, the students realised there is much more to the players than football.
Finishing the visit, Thompson, Mahazi and Georgievski played football with a group who are often viewed as the most challenging students in the state.
But the students were happily engaged for the entire duration of the lesson, communicating and collaborating.
Melbourne Victory continues to break down barriers by promoting Our Game, Our Community – uniting people through football from all walks of life.
