At the halfway point of the year, it’s a great time to reflect on the Tjindu Foundation’s achievements, and the many opportunities and moments we have to look forward to in the coming months.
Tjindu is leading the nation
We are leading the nation in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to achieve the very best in their schooling.
Tjindu is now nationally recognised for its excellence in improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander attendance rates and meeting Australia’s 2031 Closing the Gap targets.
Last year, our students achieved a 100% completion rate for the South Australian Certificate of Education in Year 12, and of required SACE units in Year 11.
This is proof of the Tjindu advantage. Tjindu programs support schools, families and communities by providing a culturally safe, encouraging and supportive environment for students to engage in education.
This year’s excellent Tjindu student body is also tracking to achieve the same milestone — and our team is excited to help them on this journey.
Time to Thrive
In 2026, we now have a new program to engage more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across SA, called Tjindu Thrive, which is a general health and well-being education program for students who seek a culture-centred learning environment. It also includes specialised streams for neurodivergent young people, and those who have grown up speaking their traditional languages, for whom English is a second language.
Participants, families and communities have welcomed Tjindu Thrive and the positive results it’s showing so far. We look forward to growing this program in years to come.
We’ve also seen our students achieve great things in a range of other opportunities this year.
We were proud to see our students participate once again in Teen Parliament where they prepared and presented speeches in Parliament House about issues that matter to them.
Our annual trip to Dreamtime at the ‘G was one of our best so far, with students meeting with peers at St Kilda’s Next Generation Academy, seeing the Essendon-Richmond match, visiting the Carlton Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club HQ with our Academy coach Lindsay Thomas, and experiencing a range of health and education opportunities in Melbourne.
Year 10 Tjindu students also had a busy time obtaining certificates for sports training, first aid and footy umpiring in Term 1.
Tjindu students also enjoyed an opportunity to participate in the Adelaide Crows Foundation’s Stemfooty program.
More to come in Term 3
We look ahead to Term 3 for an exciting schedule of classroom learning and our final games of football. Some of the opportunities will include:
- Participation in Naidoc Week events
- RAA Street Smart road safety awareness programs
- AFL Max excursions
- Literacies workshop with Lefevre Health
- Our annual Careers Expo
- And Cultural Connection Day
Trials for the 2027 Academy will also take place shortly. Students interested in nominating for trials can do so here.
Thanks to our partners and supporters
The Tjindu Foundation can’t succeed in its mission without the support of our government and corporate partners, individual donations, and, of course, the commitment of our students, families and communities.
We also thank the schools and clubs that have participated in matches with our Academy team — Immanuel College, Trinity College, Henley High School, Sports College and the St Kilda Football Club. You can catch the rest of our season on our live match centre.
Thanks to all of you for your support so far in 2026, and we warmly invite you all to come and cheer for the Tjindu teams in games across SA this term.
Kellie Graves
CEO, Tjindu Foundation