SAASTA students are invited to participate in several major events throughout the school year.

These events support a connection between curriculum, sport, completing the SACE, engaging with the community and pathways to employment or further education after school.

By strengthening students’ connections to their community and culture, SAASTA events support students to stay engaged in secondary education, complete the SACE, and make successful post-school transitions.

SAASTA annual events

Santos Aboriginal Power Cup

The Santos Aboriginal Power Cup (SAPC) uses football to engage Aboriginal students in their education and pathways planning.

It's the culmination of a semester of work for SAASTA school-based academy students. They accumulate points over the course of the semester for their attendance, work completion and standard of work, which enables them to participate in the carnival.

Students are invited to attend a 2-day football carnival hosted by the Port Adelaide Football Club. They participate in a 9-a-side round robin football competition, as well as a health and career expo and contemporary cultural performance practice.

The 2 teams with the most points play a grand final on Adelaide Oval before a Port Adelaide AFL game, usually during the Sir Doug Nichols Round. All students have the opportunity to participate in a contemporary cultural performance on Adelaide Oval before the game.

Specialist Academies trials

Students who wish to apply for selection into any of the 4 specialist academies participate in trials. A student’s trial results are considered alongside their academic performance and school behaviour when offering specialist academy places for the following year.

Registrations of interest for the trials opens in term 3 each year, see specialist academies of SAASTA.

Power SAASTA Connect Cup

SAASTA Connect students in years 7, 8 and 9 can attend a 1-day carnival hosted by the Port Adelaide Football Club. To be eligible to attend, students need to complete curriculum tasks and adhere to behaviour and attendance expectations.

Specialist Academies graduation

Specialist academy students celebrate their graduate in term 4 each year to recognise their achievements.

Guests at the graduation include all specialist academy students who successfully complete the program, their teachers and industry staff.

School-Based Academies Awards Ceremony

Student achievement in school-based academies is recognised and celebrated with specific awards given out each year to academies and individual students. The awards ceremony is held as part of the SAASTA Shield.

SAASTA Shield

The SAASTA Shield is the culmination of work for school-based academy students at the end of semester 2. Students can participate in a 2-day carnival playing various sports. The sports played vary from year to year.

Like the Santos Aboriginal Power Cup, students accumulate points throughout the semester and have the opportunity to participate in a round robin sports carnival. The overall winners are the 2 academies who have accumulated the most points throughout the semester, including at the round robin carnival.

Aboriginal Career Exploration (ACE) block weeks and graduation

The Aboriginal Career Exploration program is held throughout the year. The Graduation Ceremony is held in term 3. It celebrates the achievements of students who successfully complete the learning requirements of the ACE program and achieve their 10 credits of Community Learning.

The graduation ceremony is a fitting recognition of the students’ achievement and the work they have done to set themselves up for successful post-school transitions.

Upcoming events

Term 3, 2023

• Aboriginal Career Exploration (ACE) block week 3 and graduation
• 2024 Specialist Academies recruitment

Term 4, 2023

• Power SAASTA Connect Cup
• SAASTA Shield
• SAASTA School Based Academies Awards Ceremony