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Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools

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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 were 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.

    2026 entries are closed

    2026 entries closed on 4 September.

    Thank you to all the schools and students that submitted an entry.

    Entry documents

    Entry documents guide teachers and students on key terms, questions, entry requirements and judging criteria.

    Read carefully prior to submitting an entry.

    2026 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 2026 Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools. The year 5 and 6 award winners will be invited to  the Proclamation Day Ceremony on 28 December 2026. All other award winners will be invited to a reception at Government House early in 2027 to receive their awards.

    Individual categories years 5 to 10

    Year 5

    • Alexander Ooi, St Andrew's School
    • Trung Tran, Westminster School
    • Maria Kowalczyk, Westminster School
    • Lara Hoffmann, Antonio Catholic School
    • Marni  McCann, Plympton Primary School.

    Year 6

    • Olivia  Gjinaj, Burnside Primary School
    • Ivy Gill, Westminster School
    • Zoha Zuhaib, Para Hills School
    • Fox Treloar, Gawler and District College.

    Year 7

    • Olivia Ertugrul, Wilderness School
    • Senudi Senaratna, St Aloysius College.

    Year 8

    • Ava Wolf, Mount Carmel College
    • Daniel Rao, Glenunga International High School
    • June Lim, St John's Grammar School
    • Linda Wang, Pembroke School.

    Year 9

    • Avni Katdare, Wilderness School
    • Bibek Paudel, Plympton International College
    • Daisy Wong, Nazareth Catholic College
    • Miranda Li, Glenunga International High School
    • Olivia Williams, Nazareth Catholic College.

    Year 10

    • Mitchell Moffat-Stacey, Temple Christian College Paralowie Campus
    • Samreet Kaur Dhillon, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College
    • Toby Emery, The Hills Christian Community School.

    SACE Category

    • Calan Byrne, Thomas More College
    • Darshana Rajkumar, Underdale High School
    • Rhys Heinrich, Central Yorke School
    • Senuthi Jayasinghe Arachchi, Marryatville High School
    • Teesha Soni, Seaview High School
    • Verity Bird, Para Hills High School.

    Group Category

    Primary

    • Kangaroo Island Community Education.

    Students:

    • Angus  Murton
    • Harry  White
    • Riley May
    • Xavier Westbrook.

    Primary

    • St Leonards Primary School.

    Students:

    • Amelie Reiter
    • Eva Reiter
    • Georgia Reiter
    • Madison Noll
    • Sadie Davies.

    Secondary

    • Roma Mitchell Secondary College.

    Students:

    • Areeb Mohammed Ayub
    • Jyothika Bose
    • Thu Tran
    • Zaheen Sonawalla.

    School Category

    Primary

    • Mypolonga Primary School $2000 into HaSS projects
      • Teacher: Jacob Rance.

    Secondary

    • Keith Area School $2000 into HaSS projects
      • Teacher: Ben Judson.
    • Modbury High School $2000 into HaSS projects
      • Teacher: Cait Thomas.

    Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools

    Email: GovernorsCivicsAwards [at] sa.gov.au

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