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The Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools is a cross-sector initiative to develop student awareness and skills as active and informed citizens in a multicultural and democratic society. The initiative involves an annual competition conducted by the Department for Education and guided by the Governor's Civics Awards for Schools Reference Group.
Award ceremony video
Watch the video of Award presentations and hear from some previous award recipients at Government House.
Video transcript
Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC: Everyone's got something to contribute, whatever their background, whatever's happened in their lives, wherever they come from and I think we really need to be actively encouraging everyone to have a voice.
Dakoyta: HASS is one of my favourite lessons at school and I've always enjoyed learning about history.
Bich-Loan: We had to talk about an environmental or social trouble that we were currently having.
Susindu: I wanted to respond to a question from inside and respond with an authentic answer.
Miya: I did mine based on disabilities and I know a lot of people with disabilities and they've read my awards and they've felt a lift up reading it and so I'm proud of that.
Bich-Loan: I decided to go with the gender pay gap and its impacts.
Dakoyta: I'm very excited that I'm here today because I've never been to the Government House before and I got to meet the Governor.
Susindu: It feels really good because this motivates me to in the future be an active citizen, help out with my community.
Bich-Loan: I had to come in and do a roundtable discussion. That was a cool experience.
Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC: The Governor's Civics Awards for Schools are open to all students across the state from year 5 to year 12. They can enter as individuals, they can enter as a group and it's about providing recognition for great work that we know is happening in civics across the state. And I love nothing more as governor than giving recognition and acknowledgement for fantastic work done.
Bich-Loan: I'd say to just go for it, like even if you don't win as such it's still a great opportunity to learn more about South Australian society.
Dakoyta: It's a great opportunity to have some fun and this essay was really enjoyable to write it.
Susindu: Enter, it's the best and it helps you in the future as well.
End of transcript.
The awards and the Australian Curriculum
The awards have been designed to align to the Australian Curriculum: History and Civics and Citizenship.
They connect with essential elements of the Australian Curriculum. These include:
- Humanities and social sciences – history, geography, civics and citizenship, economics and business.
- English, literacy strand – creating texts including texts that combine digital or media content for imaginative, informative, or persuasive purposes that reflect upon challenging and complex issues.
- Sustainability – the sustainability of ecological, social and economic systems is achieved through informed individual and community action that values local and global equity and fairness across generations into the future.
- Civics and citizenship, contribute to civil society – plan, implement and evaluate ways of contributing to civil society at local, national, regional and global levels.
2024 Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools
In 2024 the awards are available for years 5 to 12 and include individual, group and school categories.
In the individual category students respond to a history and/or civics question. In the group category schools submit the work of a school group in the area of civic involvement. The schools category invites schools to nominate their civics and citizenship education program as an example of outstanding practice.
For the individual category, each school can submit a maximum of 4 entries for each year level.
For the group category, schools can submit a maximum of:
- 2 group nominations for the primary years
- 2 group nominations for the secondary years.
The winners of the 2024 awards will be announced during December 2024. The award winners will be invited to either the Proclamation Day Ceremony on 28 December 2024, or to a reception at Government House early in 2025 to receive their awards.
Support materials
- Primary school program – Governor's Civics Awards for Schools (PDF 872 KB)
- Secondary school program – Governor's Civics Awards for Schools (PDF 873 KB)
- Poster for Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools (PDF 518 KB)
- Entry support information, checklists and templates (PDF 375 KB) .
When and how to submit entries
The relevant 'entry form and declaration' for the individual, group and school categories must be submitted with your entry.
Entries open term 1, 2024.
Entries must be received by Friday 13 September 2024 at 5.00pm.
Email applications to GovernorsCivicsAwards@sa.gov.au.
Entry forms
Teachers to complete the online entry and declaration form for each student. Email submissions to GovernorsCivicsAwards@sa.gov.au. In the subject line, specify your school and categories for the entries you’re submitting.
- Individual entry form and declaration
- Group nomination form and declaration
- School nomination form and declaration.
2023 Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools winners
The Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools program has been conducted in South Australian schools since 2019.
Congratulations to the following students and schools for being judged award winners in the 2023 Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools.
Individual categories years 5 to 10
Year 5
- Ava Wolf, North Haven School
- Jake Doonan, North Haven School
- Elizabeth Le, Wilderness School
- Faith Glazbrook, Victor Harbor Primary School
- Tilly Bilney, Victor Harbor Primary School.
Year 6
- Georgia Griffin, Walford Anglican School for Girls
- Hazel Michael, Horizon Christian School
- Anya Rose, Westminster School
- Ruby Georg, Golden Grove Lutheran Primary School
- Indi Couch, Mount Compass Area School.
Year 7
- Evangeline Lee, Wilderness School
- Nidhi Sinhal, Wilderness School
- Agamjot Kaur, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
- Josiah Lockwood, Horizon Christian School
- Nayab Jafari, Naracoorte High School.
Year 8
- Manha Abaid, Wilderness School
- Tom Nolan, Naracoorte High School
- Shaylee Ellbourn, Playford International College.
Year 9
- Miriam Lockwood, Horizon Christian School
- Dean Jacksen, Horizon Christian School
- Emily Stewart, Cornerstone College
- Wajiha Gulzari, Roma Mitchell Secondary College
- Olivia Possingham, St Mark's College, Port Pirie.
Year 10
- Daragh Hayde, Cabra Dominican College
- Mackenzie Buckoke, Temple Christian College
- William Simes, Loxton High School
- Aston Joshy, Aberfoyle Park High School
- Prantia Shrestha, Cabra Dominican College.
SACE Category
- Sahibjot Kaur, Our Lady of The Sacred Heart College $250
- Milika Filmer, Cornerstone College $250
- Amber Smith, Glenunga International High School $250
- Nikki Pfizner, Berri Regional Secondary College $250
- Olivia Turner, Adelaide Botanic High School $250
- Sasindu Maheepala, Glenunga International High School $250
- Vanessa Rapuano, University Senior College $250
- Faith Battistessa, Horizon Christian School $250
- Anjali Beames, University Senior College $250
- Kai-Leigh Wilson, Horizon Christian School $250
- Ezra Lockwood, Horizon Christian School $250.
Group Category
Primary
- Xavier College.
Students:
- Heidi Sandery
- Harper Conroy
- Arabella Sok.
Secondary
- Cornerstone College.
Students:
- Toby Betts
- Jade Betts
- Edith Billing
- Alice Marshall
- Taylor Moran.
School Category
Primary
- Mallala Primary School $2000 in to HaSS projects
- Teacher: Chelsea Bennett.
