Search Results

< Back Huddle Holidays - Spring '23 All the best moments from the most recent Huddle Holiday's Previous Next

Empowering Primary Teachers with Engaging STEM Resources < Back Shoot and Score Annabel Dorey 14 July 2023 Empowering Primary Teachers with Engaging STEM Resources As a part of The Huddle’s Education Team, Sophie Stewart and Annabel Dorey had the unique opportunity to present at its education partner, the Mathematical Association of Victoria's (MAV), regional and primary teachers conferences. The aim of the workshops was to engage primary teachers in the field of mathematics education by showcasing the exciting teaching and learning resources available through the GOAL! , Game Day, and NBA Math Hoops programs . This ongoing relationship with MAV continues to provide positive outcomes for primary teachers and their students across Victoria. With a deep understanding of the potential of mathematics education, The Huddle developed a suite of interactive and engaging resources that integrate mathematics concepts with popular sports, including basketball and football. The goal was to inspire and motivate primary students to develop a passion for mathematics through their love for sports. At the conferences, The Huddle's workshop, “Shoot and Score”, focused on the integration of sports-themed resources into the Victorian primary mathematics curriculum. The team demonstrated how GOAL!, Game Day, and NBA Math Hoops can be effectively used to enhance students' mathematical understanding while making learning fun and relatable. The Huddle's hands-on approach to the workshop captivated the teachers and showcased how mathematics can be applied practically in sports. The session incorporated elements of problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork, allowing the teachers to experience firsthand the benefits of these resources. The integration of sports-themed resources into mathematics education provides many advantages for both teachers and students. Primary teachers found the resources to be highly engaging and appreciated their versatility in catering to students' diverse learning styles. By incorporating sports-related scenarios into mathematics lessons, teachers were able to contextualise mathematical concepts, making them more accessible and relevant to their students' lives. The Huddle's resources not only enhance student engagement but also foster the development of essential mathematical skills. Students are encouraged to apply mathematical concepts such as measurement, data analysis, and geometry to solve sports-related problems. The integration of real-world examples motivates students to actively participate in their own learning and apply mathematical principles to practical situations. The Huddle's presentation at the MAV regional and primary teachers’ conferences successfully engaged teachers of mathematics and showcased the effectiveness of our sports-themed teaching and learning resources. By integrating the three highlighted programs, The Huddle empowered primary teachers to make mathematics education more exciting, relevant, and accessible for their students. Through this innovative approach, The Huddle continues to inspire a new generation of mathematically confident and sports-loving learners. Check out our FREE resources here . Previous Next

Gary Lee inducted into the Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll! < Back Multicultural Honour Roll of The Huddle's Advisory Committee Member Don Doughty 16 Dec 2024 Gary Lee inducted into the Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll! On December 4, Seddon resident, and international student advocate Gary Lee was inducted into the Victorian Multic ultural Honour Roll at Government House, receiving the accolade from the Governor, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Miss Ingrid Stitt. This was the third year the Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll which recognises the efforts of individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to multiculturalism in Victoria, recognising the vital role that multicultural individuals have played to keep communities safe and connected. From international student, Senior Fellow of the International Education Association Australia (IEAA) to being recognised as the Australian Day Council ‘New Australian of the Year’ and just recently, an Order of Australia Medal, Gary has long been a passionate member of the international education community. Originally from Malaysia, Gary started his journey in Melbourne as an international student and quickly discovered his passion for multicultural communities, dedicating his life to ensuring all international students feel welcomed, supported and motivated. His empathetic approach and tireless efforts have made a significant impact on the lives of students, creating a home away from home for many. Dynamic, creative and visionary, he has over 20 years’ experience in the areas of high level strategic planning and design; policy development and advice; design and delivery of complex projects and student wellbeing initiatives. Currently, Gary leads the international education portfolio at the City of Melbourne in delivering the Council Plan 2021–25 and the Economic Development Strategy 2031. He also oversees City of Melbourne’s collaboration with State Government on the International Education Recovery Plan 2025. Gary is a member of numerous advisory committees including the North Melbourne Football Club’s The Huddle, the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) Regional Advisory Council, Crime Stoppers Cultural Inclusion Reference Group, African Music and Cultural Festival and the Australian Government’s Best Practice in International Student Engagement Project. He is also an ambassador for the AFL Multicultural Program, Melbourne Victory, Welcoming Australia and the Bully Zero Australia Foundation. Gary Lee is not just an advocate; he is a beacon of hope for many international students navigating the complexities of being in a new country. Previous Next

They put their kicking skills and goal accuracy to the test < Back The Grange have a crack at GOAL! Kangaroos Jasper Menor 25 Feb 2025 They put their kicking skills and goal accuracy to the test At The Huddle, we’re always looking for ways to make GOAL! Kangaroos even better! To refine and improve our latest lessons, we headed to The Grange for a live demo, where students put their skills to the test with two exciting footy-inspired STEM challenges. First up was Kicking Machine , where students designed and built their own machines to kick a ball as far as possible. Creativity and engineering skills were on full display as they experimented with different designs to launch the ball the greatest distance! Next, it was time for Goal Accuracy —a hands-on lesson where students kicked from nine different angles to analyse the best positions for scoring with the highest percentage. It was all about precision, technique, and a bit of friendly competition! The students gave it their all and absolutely crushed it, showing off their problem-solving skills both in the classroom and on the field. A huge thanks to The Grange for having us—we can’t wait to see more students kicking goals with GOAL! Kangaroos! Learn more and grab these free lessons HERE! Previous Next

Three years of Game Day experiences with Templestowe Park Primary School! < Back Templestowe Park Primary School take on Game Day! Cobie Spencer 18 Sept 2024 Three years of Game Day experiences with Templestowe Park Primary School! On the September 3, the fourth and final Grade 5 class from Templestowe Park got their turn to experience Game Day. Twenty enthusiastic Templestowe Park Primary School students visited The Huddle with their teacher, buzzing with excitement at the mystery of the day ahead. Students had an action-packed day, solving STEM challenges to ‘power up’ their Shinboners in our Simulation Stadium. Students had help from three AFLW players- Tahlia, Kate, and Zoe, who supported students with their activities and gave firsthand insights into the life of an elite athlete, answering student questions all about the dedication and resilience it takes to reach the top. The AFLW players’ time was a highlight for many students, with one student sharing, “I loved how the players came to meet us and helped us with some activities.” Thank you, Tahlia, Kate and Zoe! Thanks to their teamwork, collaboration and resilience, the students came out victorious against their opponents, the Specky Bots. They were rapt with this achievement! After the day, students had a lot to say about their trip to The Huddle – with one student loving that the program was “active and talkative and very interactive”, and another student highlighting “how cool the simulation stadium was.” Their teacher, Jared, liked that the program had a “Variety of activities, [was] very inclusive, [and that] students learnt in an engaging environment.” This is our third year of working with Templestowe Park Primary School, who have attended Game Day with each of their Grade 5 classes every year since the program piloted in 2022! We are so grateful for the ongoing connection we share with Templestowe Park, its teachers, and students. We can’t wait to see them at Game Day again in 2025 so we can keep working together to help their students learn, grow and belong! Want to know more about how to get your class involved in Game Day in 2025? Check out https://www.thehuddle.org.au/gameday Bookings for 2025 open in Term 4 – don’t delay and miss your chance to experience Game Day! Previous Next

The Huddle saw a group of four young individuals participate in the Youth Parliament initiative. < Back YMCA’s 38th Youth Parliament initiative 1 Aug 2024 The Huddle saw a group of four young individuals participate in the Youth Parliament initiative. In 2024, The Huddle saw a group of four young individuals participate in the YMCA’s 38th Youth Parliament initiative, a program designed to empower youth to find their voices and advocate for change. Over four months, participants from both the City of Melbourne and Wyndham engaged in various sessions where they brainstormed and drafted their proposed bill. With the guidance of a taskforce mentor, the group decided to propose the Education Reform Bill 2024, aiming to improve education conditions, accessibility, and resources. Their goal was to address an issue they were passionate about and that would benefit their communities. The young people attended a six-day residential "Week of Youth Parliament" camp, which included training days that provided an in-depth look at parliamentary processes, from democracy to voting and debating. The group described this experience as enlightening, giving them a deeper understanding of how legislation is passed. During the sitting day at Parliament House Melbourne, in the presence of the Minister for Youth, State MPs, and other esteemed individuals, The Huddle team passionately debated and advocated for their bill. They emphasised the importance of improving access to education, reducing the costs of school supplies and technology to enhance learning, and ultimately promoting sustainability and economic security for the youth and their future. Young people stated that the experience inspired them and helped them develop essential skills such as leadership, communication, and confidence. The Huddle recognizes that this process can be daunting but congratulates these young individuals for being catalysts for change, not just for their community but for the entire state. Previous Next

< Back Welcome to AFL North Melbourne Kangaroos v St Kilda Previous Next

Connecting the future footballers with elite athletes in Tasmania. < Back AFLW Community Camp Inspires the Next Generation Ella Marsh 30 Aug 2024 Connecting the future footballers with elite athletes in Tasmania. North Melbourne Football Club and The Huddle's annual AFLW Community Camp connects elite athletes with aspiring young footballers and local coaches in Tasmania. This year’s event partnered with McDonald’s and provided a unique platform for elite athletes to engage with the Tasmanian community. This annual event not only inspires young female footballers but also supports local players, coaches, and umpires with developmental opportunities. The 2024 camp featured: Engagement with 30 unique junior girls' football teams. Training sessions and match simulations for 10 senior Tasmanian women players. Skill-building clinics for 67 Under 12 girls and support for nine local female umpires. Prior to the AFLW Community Camp, there was a noticeable gap in opportunities for young female footballers in Tasmania to interact with elite athletes and experience high-level training. The camp aimed to address this gap by: Providing junior girls and aspiring athletes with direct engagement from AFLW players. Offering training and development opportunities to senior Tasmanian players, coaches, and umpires. Fulfilling an obligation of the AFLW’s agreement with Events Tasmania to promote and support the growth of the game in the state. The AFLW Community Camp effectively bridged the gap between elite football and local community members by: Engaging Young Athletes: AFLW players attended junior girls' games, actively participating as goal umpires, coaches, and supporters. This interaction provided motivation and inspiration for the young players, reinforcing that a career in AFLW is within reach. Training Opportunities: Local Tasmanian athletes experienced high-level training session and match simulation alongside AFLW stars, enhancing their skills and understanding of elite-level play. Coaching and Umpiring Development: Tasmanian coaches and umpires benefited from specialized training session led by AFLW and AFL experts, improving their knowledge and skills in their respective roles. The AFLW Community Camp achieved significant outcomes, fostering a sense of community and belonging among participants: Youth Engagement: Over 67 girls attended the Under 12 all-girls clinic, where they engaged in drills and activities with AFLW players, significantly boosting their confidence and enthusiasm for the sport. Player Development: 10 senior Tasmanian women players participated in match simulations, enhancing their game readiness and experience. Coaching and Umpiring Enhancement: nine local female umpires gained valuable insights from AFLW umpire Sam Ritchie, and coaches improved their techniques through workshops with Darren Crocker and his team. “The North girls were amazing tonight! Please pass on a massive thank you to all of them from the Sandy Bay Lions. Loved that they learned their names and were so interactive.” - Emma, mum of Sandy Bay Lions U9’s player Lulu. “As elite athletes and players of AFLW, I think it’s really important that we are in the community and can show these young girls that there is a pathway to the elite level.” - Nicole Bresnehan. The AFLW Community Camp aims to build on its success by enhancing the program each year. The focus will remain on deepening community connections and providing continuous development opportunities for local athletes, coaches, and umpires. Don't miss the opportunity to experience AFLW live! Join us for the upcoming AFLW games in Tasmania: Week 5: NMFC vs Richmond, UTAS Stadium, Sunday, September 29th, at 1:05 PM Week 7: NMFC vs Sydney Swans, North Hobart Oval, Sunday, October 13th, at 1:05 PM Get your tickets here and support local talent while witnessing the excitement of AFLW action! Previous Next

River Nile student's reflection on her 2 years participating in Voice Your Voice < Back Aida's Voice Claudie Groves 19 Oct 2023 River Nile student's reflection on her 2 years participating in Voice Your Voice Aida is the first to complete two rounds of Voice Your Voice, a collaborative and hands-on advocacy program delivered by The Huddle to local secondary and VCAL students. Like her introductory experience in 2022, this year’s initiative encouraged Aida and her peers at River Nile School to think bigger than just awareness-raising, and to think about what it truly means to feel safe, valued, and included in society. Together, this group of young women not only spoke about the issues that are commonly faced by people of refugee and migrant backgrounds, but also – and more powerfully – explored ways to mobilise communities and build capacity for meaningful social action in this regard. They participated in several workshops with Voice Your Voice throughout their third semester, creating short video campaigns on topics of their own choosing. “My group focused on racism, which is a problem many of us face every day due to our hijabs and skin colour.” “Being able to talk about something so persistent, hurtful and wrong is really important, and advocating for change means a lot to those of us who have personally experienced racism.” Last year, Aida and her team worked on a media project about cyberbullying, which they argue is just as pervasive and challenging. The issue’s popularity and resonance also meant that this team grew to be the largest in Voice Your Voice’s history. “Everyone played a role, whether that was doing voiceovers, writing the script, editing or starring in the actual video.” “I really want to thank The Huddle for providing us with this opportunity as people who are new to Australia.” Voice Your Voice aims to inspire students like Aida, giving them the tools necessary to self-advocate and contribute to cohesive communities where all feel they belong. Previous Next

< Back Game Day VIP Event The Huddle unveil the new Game Day Program at this Grand Opening Previous Next

Duad’s experiences with careers support from The Huddle < Back Community supporting community Maddy Ware and John King 14 Feb 2023 Duad’s experiences with careers support from The Huddle Recruitment processes, such as resume writing and interviews, in today’s employment landscape are becoming more complex. Young people from diverse backgrounds continue to be adversely affected by these processes, often due to a lack of exposure or access to appropriate support through their own networks. This leads to challenges in obtaining sustainable employment. Mentoring and coaching throughout the recruitment process has proven to be highly valuable to young people from diverse communities (Meet Me in the Middle Report, P.21 ). In today’s employment market, employers are consistently looking for transferrable skills over technical skills. They expect young people to be able to confidently speak about their transferable skills, as well as explain in what circumstances they use them. The objective of The Huddle’s Game Changers program is to bridge the information gap between young people and employers. By providing Career Coaching on resume writing, cover letter writing and interview preparation, young people can identify their skills and confidently communicate them to an employer. Game Changers supports young people from diverse backgrounds to not only identify skills they have acquired through their lived experiences, but also understand that they use transferable skills in everyday settings such as home life, sports, school, and work. Daud is a 19-year-old male from North Melbourne. He had been involved with The Huddle’s Huddle Holidays and Huddle Up! programs since 2020, and was referred to Game Changers through a family member who had previously been involved in the program, suggesting the supportive structure and coaching provided in the program would be beneficial. Daud connected with the Careers Coordinator mid-2022 and, following Career Coaching sessions, expressed interest in working with The Huddle or within the community setting more broadly. The interest was due to positive experiences he had participating in programs in his local North Melbourne area. After finalising his resume and cover letter, the Careers Coordinator suggested Daud apply for a role available with the YMCA, a partner organisation of The Huddle, at the North Melbourne Community Centre (NMCC). Daud was reluctant because he had been a participant at NMCC and was unsure of his abilities to lead people within his social circle. The Careers Coordinator and Daud had many conversations about his skills and abilities and what it would mean to work within his community and, despite being initially apprehensive, Daud had built up enough confidence in his abilities and decided to apply for a Duty Manager role. Daud was successful in getting an interview at NMCC and took part in a number of job interview preparation sessions, answering practice interview questions and preparing examples with the Careers Coordinator. After Daud’s interview, he felt confident in how he presented himself, his transferrable skills, and his experience as a member of the North Melbourne community. Daud was successful in his application and appointed to the role of Duty Manager, beginning at NMCC in December 2022. Through participating in Game Changers, Daud was supported to identify his talents and believe in himself, giving him the confidence needed to apply for a management position. Furthermore, Game Changers resulted in Daud having a better understanding of recruitment processes and procedures while also fostering a safe psychological environment in which Daud could learn about his abilities and successfully talk to his skillset. Daud was able to identify his skills and communicate them to an employer confidently and succinctly in an interview situation, successfully gaining employment. Game Changers massively helped me with resumes, with cover letter writing, with interviewing skills…[and] being able to appropriately sell myself in a way. - Duad Daud is thoroughly enjoying work at North Melbourne Community Centre and hopes to gain full-time employment in the community space in the future. “The thing I enjoy most about working at North Melbourne Community Centre is the community atmosphere. Being part of the community myself and being able to work in the community and do my part and give back what I got, it’s a great feeling.” Previous Next

Abdullah's Journey with Huddle Up! Junior < Back Nurturing Growth and Connection Mariam Taleb 19 Jan 2024 Abdullah's Journey with Huddle Up! Junior Huddle Up! Junior, a program situated at The Hub in Docklands, is on a mission to enrich the lives of primary school-aged children. The program not only seeks to increase physical activity levels but also endeavors to build social connections, instill new skills, and create a profound sense of belonging for its participants. Huddle Up! Junior addresses the challenge of the limited availability of activities for children to stay active and socialise in a secure environment after school, especially for families like Abdullah's, who are new to Australia and unfamiliar with the area. Abdullah is a 8-year-old boy who, along with his parents, arrived in Australia from Saudi Arabia in 2020. The family's primary purpose was to pursue education and obtain degrees. Having accomplished their academic goals in 2023, Abdullah's parents recently returned to Saudi Arabia in January of 2024. Abdullah and his mother, Amal, attended Huddle Up! at Docklands every Tuesday. Amal first learned about the program at Docklands Primary School and is delighted that Abdullah could participate in a variety of sports and engaging activities each week. She expressed that she found joy in seeing Abdullah play with other children, make new friends, and extend those connections to school. Abdullah's father has expressed gratitude for the additional activities that the Huddle has involved the family in. A standout moment was their participation in the AFLW Grand Final, where Abdullah had the opportunity to run out through the banner as the junior mascot for The Huddle. For Abdullah, this experience was not only his favourite but also the most memorable with The Huddle, evident in the uncontainable smile on his face on the day. He shared that the diversity of sports he engages in keeps him returning to the Tuesday program. Some sports are entirely new to him, and the coaches, especially his favourite, Maz, make it easy for him to connect with both them and fellow participants. Abdullah's time with Huddle Up! Junior has cultivated a sense of fun, the building of connections with peers, a heightened sense of belonging within the community, and the confidence to embrace new experiences. As Abdullah returns to Saudi Arabia, he carries with him not just memories, but a stockpile of new skills and games acquired during his time in Australia. Previous Next