Greater space to learn and grow

The Frank Dando Sports Academy located in Melbourne opened 30 years ago and offers boys aged 10 to 16 years enhanced opportunities through a blend of academic and sporting programs promoting discipline and dedication to reach their potential.

The Building the Education Revolution (BER) program funding the school received will further support the Academy’s endeavours, which has seen almost three hundred self confident and athletic boys pass through their doors.

The Academy received $300,000 in BER funding under both the National School Pride and Primary Schools for the 21st Century programs. This was used to build a new classroom complete with wet area, withdrawal area and an entry ramp and toilets for people with disability. Also the school installed two rain water tanks to use for flushing the toilets, complete with pumps to top up from the mains supply if required.

The extra teaching space provides a new learning area and can also be used by visiting psychologists and social workers. The local community is benefiting from this room which is used by four local sports clubs to hold meetings and functions.

The Academy’s Assistant Principal, Mrs Evelyn Dando said the funding is the most wonderful thing to happen at the school. “We are absolutely delighted to have received this funding and to be able to use these new facilities for our boys”, said Mrs Dando.

The school is focused on helping boys with athletic abilities who have struggled academically and socially in mainstream schools, boys with obesity and those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders.

The new BER facilities support the Academy to deliver quality learning opportunities for its boys and to encourage them to grow to be good men.

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