The Eden School Prize competition is open to year 8, 9 and 10 students in South Australian government schools who want the opportunity to share their ideas about the world they live in.

It’s funded by the 1956 John Joseph Eden bequest and embraces the notion of making the world a better and happier place.

2026 competition details

Entries open Monday 27 April and close 5pm Friday 3 July 2026.

Keeping to the spirit of the original bequest, the task for the competition is for students to develop a multi-modal response to the following question:

How can practicing kindness and empathy make the world a better and happier place?

The multi-modal response is to be a maximum of 800 words for written mode or between 3 and 4 minutes for a visual presentation or speech.

Download the 2026 Eden School Prize poster (PDF 1 MB) to display at your school.

Competition prizes

There will be 3 prizes awarded to the value of:

• First prize: $1250
• Second prize: $750
• Third prize: $500.

Judging entries

The judging panel will use the following criteria to judge entries:

• breadth of thought on the topic
• originality of thought
• relevance of the response to the question
• reference to current issues
• communication skills.

Submit an entry

Entries open Monday 27 April and close 5pm Friday 3 July 2026.

Teachers complete the Eden School Prize student information and declaration form for each student entry.

Once the student information and declaration form has been completed, teachers then email student entries to education.EdenSchoolPrize@sa.gov.au.

The student entry must have the student’s name and school clearly displayed at the top of the entry and be given a title.

For teachers without computer access and unable to complete the online student information and declaration form, email education.EdenSchoolPrize@sa.gov.au to discuss further arrangements.

The Eden School Prize and the Australian Curriculum

Schools are encouraged to have their year 8, 9 and 10 students participate in the Eden School Prize because of its connection with essential elements of the Australian Curriculum, including:

• Humanities and social sciences: history, geography, civics and citizenship, economics and business.
• English (literacy strand): creating texts including texts that combine specific 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.

2025 awardees

The 2025 essay question was inspired by discussions on how volunteering and being of service can make the world a better and happier place.

Students were asked to respond to the question:

How can volunteering and "being of service" make the world a better and happier place?

Thank you to all students who entered in 2025 and congratulations to the top 3 prize winners:

• First prize $1250: Ameeran Ali, Reynella East College
• Second prize $750: Harper Jaeschke, Loxton High School
• Third prize $500: Amelia Watson, Kingston Community School.