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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: Hello, I'm Frances Adamson, Governor of South Australia. One of the great privileges of my role is meeting young South Australians and seeing the ideas, energy and care they bring to their communities.
I firmly believe that everyone has something to contribute, whatever their background, wherever they live and whatever issues matter most to them. That belief is at the heart of the Governor's Civics Awards for Schools.
These awards recognise students who are learning about our democracy and putting that learning into action by asking thoughtful questions, engaging with real issues and making a positive difference in their schools and communities.
Each year I'm inspired by the creativity insight and commitment shown by students across South Australia. Through their entries, students explore issues such as fairness, inclusion, sustainability and civic responsibility. Learning that their voices matter and that active citizenship begins well before voting age.
Civics is not just something you learn in a textbook; it's something you live. By listening, participating and working with others to improve the world around you.
Grace: I think that you should enter these awards, it's a great opportunity to put yourself out there, also challenge yourself and have your work recognised on such a great scale.
Raghu: I mean, it starts at step one. You just got to make the first move, have an idea and start executing that idea. Don't really be worried about the award per se, just do what you think is best.
Rhys: Really think of something that you're passionate about and find something that may even work well with your studies.
Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC: The awards are open to students in years 5 to 12 with individual, group and whole school categories and I encourage schools from all sectors and all regions to take part.
Whether you're a student who enjoys research and writing, a group working on a local issue or a school embedding civics across your curriculum, there is a place for you in these awards.
Entries are based on multimodal responses such as writing, video or images. You can choose how to best express your ideas, and I warmly encourage principals, teachers and students to get involved.
To our students, your ideas matter. Your actions matter, and what you learn about citizenship now will stay with you for life. I hope you will take up this opportunity and I look forward to seeing what you contribute.
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.
2026 Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools
In 2026 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 2026 awards will be announced during December 2026. The award winners will be invited to either the Proclamation Day Ceremony on 28 December 2026, or to a reception at Government House early in 2027 to receive their awards.
Download and print the Governors Civics Awards poster (PDF 212 KB) to display at your school.
2026 entry information
2026 entries open on Monday 27 April.
Entries will close 5pm, Friday 4 September.
Email entries to GovernorsCivicsAwards@sa.gov.au.
How to enter
Download the relevant entry document category below for instructions on how to enter.
Entry documents
Entry documents guide teachers and students on key terms, questions, entry requirements and judging criteria.
Read carefully prior to submitting an entry.
- Year 5 individual entry (PDF 147 KB)
- Year 6 individual entry (PDF 151 KB)
- Year 7 and 8 individual entry (PDF 149 KB)
- Year 9 and 10 individual entry (PDF 152 KB)
- SACE years individual entry (PDF 229 KB)
- Group category submission (PDF 242 KB)
- Schools category submission (PDF 242 KB)
2025 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 2025 Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools.
Individual categories years 5 to 10
Year 5
- Quinn Norris, Lockleys North Primary School
- Stanley Hamlyn, Lockleys North Primary School
- Ella Wallace, Scotch College Adelaide
- Zara Smit, Wilderness School
- Estelle White, Wilderness School.
Year 6
- Emmy Morgan, Seacliff Primary School
- Leticia Shrubb, Munno Para Primary School
- Torah Paech, Mount Compass Area School.
Year 7
- Chloe Mills, Mount Compass Area School
- Ava Wolf, Mount Carmel College
- Daniel Rao, Glenunga International High School
- Avanti Deshmukh, Glenunga International High School.
Year 8
- Lucija Tokic, St Mary's College
- Jessica Mah, Wilderness School
- Anya Rose, Glenunga International High School
- Miranda Li, Glenunga International High School
- Yesha Patel, Glenunga International High School.
Year 9
- Khushmeet Brar, Nazareth Catholic College
- Maddison Wehr, St. Josephs School Clare
- Emily Chan, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College
- Alliahna Hodges, St. Josephs School Clare
- Nidhi Sinhal, Wilderness School.
Year 10
- Phoebe Eaton, Emmaus Christian College
- Rachel Mackenzie, Emmaus Christian College
- Annabelle Pillar, Emmaus Christian College
- Adesola Afinjuomo, Temple Christian College Paralowie Campus
- Hope Brug, Temple Christian College Paralowie Campus.
SACE Category
- Ezra Waterford, Mount Barker Waldorf School $250.00
- Grace Leonello, Thomas More College $250.00
- Zaynab Najafi, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College $250.00
- Rhys Heinrich, Central Yorke School $250.00
- Katie Ngo, Glenunga International High School $250.00
- Sophia Boots, Loreto College Marryatville $250.00
- Raghu Vijayan, Marryatville High School $250.00
- Amy Wallace, Scotch College Adelaide $250.00.
Group Category
Primary
- Norwood Primary School.
Students:
- Arpi Matevosyan
- Evie Costello
- Charlotte Noack
- Cleopatra Gough.
Secondary
- Heathfield High School.
Students:
- Elise Caudle
- Bella Campbell.
School Category
Primary
- Elizabeth North Primary School $2000 into HaSS projects
- Teacher: Sarah Williams
- Prospect North Primary School $2000 into HaSS projects
- Teacher: Judy Beal
- Glenelg Primary School $2000 into HaSS projects
- Teacher: Jason Rose.
Secondary
- Loxton High School $2000 into HaSS projects
- Teacher: Mary-Ellen Cass.
