Term three of the school year marks the beginning of the second annual Collingwood STEM Cup Challenge - a dynamic competition where students and fans leverage their maths and stats skills to calculate player salaries for Collingwood’s 2018 season.

The competition is based on the career of Collingwood National Recruiting Assistant Dominic Milesi, who manages national recruiting and player contract negotiations for the team. Milesi's key responsibilities include determining salary figures for Collingwood players using his STEM education and skills.

“We’re excited to bring the 2nd Annual STEM Cup Challenge to the Collingwood community and footy fans across Australia," he said.

"Exciting and rewarding STEM careers exist in footy and across professional sports. It’s important to illustrate these non-traditional career pathways to excite students about STEM.”

Participants will have the opportunity to win an exclusive Draft Day Experience at the Holden Centre during the AFL’s draft week. The experience includes a ‘behind the scenes’ look at Collingwood’s pre-season preparations, meeting with coaches, and a briefing by the Collingwood recruiting team on the club's 2018 draft strategy.

Winning participants will complete a player worksheet with salary figures that are closest to Milesi's actual figures whilst staying beneath the AFL salary cap. 

The competition is supported by the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) and their national teacher network. The Collingwood STEM Cup is one of four programs included in the Day of STEM platform, produced by LifeJourney.

Teachers are encouraged to use the program with their students in the classroom, which takes approximately 45 minutes to complete, with a 60-minute homework assignment. Students, parents, and Collingwood supporters are encouraged to compete individually and are eligible to win the Draft Day Experience.

Will Morony, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) commented on the opening of the 2nd annual challenge, saying “we’re excited to get behind the second STEM Cup Challenge and share this exciting opportunity with mathematics teachers across Australia.”

The Collingwood STEM Cup is designed to inspire and excite students about the opportunities afforded by pursuing STEM careers by illustrating unique pathways in fields such as professional sports. In addition to exploring the journey of Milesi, the student also explores the related careers of Sandra Hogan, a Data Analytics Specialist with software company SAS and Nathan Holland, an Internet of Things Architect with Cisco Systems.

The Collingwood STEM Cup Challenge launched in 2016 with over 2,000 students participating from nearly 50 different schools across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. The winning students, along with their teachers, were recognized at the Holden Centre with St. Clement of Rome taking home the top prize for schools. Students and fans that participated in the 2016 challenge are encouraged to complete new submissions using the updated player list.

Teachers interested learning more about the Collingwood STEM Cup should register by clicking here and can contact Renée Hoareau (renee@lifejourney) for further information about running the program in the classroom.