Our students can take advantage of several scholarship and award opportunities.
NSW School Nanga Mai Awards
The Nanga Mai Awards are an annual event organised by Aboriginal Education and Communities Directorate. The awards recognise and celebrate innovation, excellence and educational achievement in Aboriginal education in NSW public schools, school communities and department directorates.
Premier’s Reading Challenge
This Premier’s Reading Challenge encourages students from Kindergarten to Year 9 to develop a love of reading and plays an important role in developing literacy.
Premier’s Debating Challenge
The Premier’s Debating Challenge is open to students from Year 5 to 12. Teams compete in a round robin series of debates against other schools. The winners go on to compete at regional and state level to determine the eventual state champion.
Public speaking competitions
The Arts Unit offers public speaking competitions for NSW school students. Each competition is a great opportunity for students to develop their speech-writing and presentation skills while representing their schools in a state-wide competition.
Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarships
The Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarships are an opportunity to visit significant overseas sites associated with Australia’s participation in war for Years 10 and 11 students in selected schools.
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia provides an internationally recognised, self-development program for people aged 14 to 25. The program equips young people with the opportunity to undertake a variety of voluntary and challenging activities.
Ampol Best All Rounder (school-based decision after nomination)
- Focus- a national school awards program, forming part of Ampol’s commitment to supporting education in communities across the country.
- Eligibility- a final year student who has made an exceptional contribution both in and out of the classroom.
- Purpose- The award recognises qualities that include: Leadership, Service and community, Sport, Arts and culture, Attitude, Personal conduct.
- Selection- Staff nomination and internal school voting
Dame Marie Bashir Peace Award (external decision after nomination)
- Focus: passion for social justice and promoting harmonious relationships
- Eligibility: Open to all young women in years 10-12 in NSW schools
- Purpose: to recognise students who have demonstrated a social justice in the field of peace and harmony within their school and community. Each Awardee embodies the values of leadership, fairness and equality that this award celebrated.
- Selection- student can self-nominate, then a school decision is made on who to put forward to an external panel for possible final selection
ADF Awards
Both programs aim to recognise and encourage students who demonstrate strong leadership, teamwork, and STEM skills within their schools and communities
ADF Future Innovators Award-
- Focus: STEM skills and innovation.
- Eligibility: Year 10 and/or Year 12 students in registered schools.
- Purpose: To recognise students who demonstrate motivation and innovation in STEM fields and display strong personal ethical values.
- Selection: Schools nominate students based on the provided selection criteria, which emphasises leadership, innovation, and ethical values
ADF Long Tan Leadership and Teamwork Award-
- Focus: Leadership and teamwork.
- Eligibility: Senior students in participating schools.
- Purpose: To recognise students who actively participate in school and community life, demonstrating leadership, teamwork, and positive values.
- Selection: Schools nominate students based on the provided selection criteria, which emphasises leadership, teamwork, and strong values.
The NSW Youth Community Service Award
- Focus- This Award recognises exceptional community service by a Year 11 or 12 student in the NSW HSC
- Eligibility- Nominations should provide a distinct description of the community involvement and contribution by the student, especially that extending beyond the school into the broader local, state, national or even international communities
- Purpose- conducted annually by the NSW Branch of the Order of Australia Association. The Award, convened by Dr Frank Kelleher OAM, recognises outstanding community service by individual students, and complements those awarded for academic, sporting and leadership achievement by their schools.
- Selection- student can self-nominate, then a school decision is made on who to put forward to an external panel for possible final selection
Helen Hanbury Leadership Award
- Focus- This award recognises and rewards young Australians who have shown strong leadership and potential.
- Eligibility- Year 12 students in rural and regional Australia who have shown outstanding community leadership.
- Purpose- This Award also aims to inspire others to engage in environmental and community issues and make a difference. The award winners will receive funding towards an international trip to experience community development in another culture.
- Selection- student can self-nominate, then a school decision is made on who to put forward to an external panel for possible final selection
Other Awards include:
Future Leaders Future Justice Award-
The Future Leaders Future Justice Award recognises Year 12 students who have shown leadership and initiative on intergenerational equity, future justice. Future justice is concerned with what those living today leave behind for future generations.
Future Leaders Photography Prize-
The Future Leaders Photography Prize is designed to recognize talented young photographers.
Future Leaders Writing Prize-
The Future Leaders Writing Prize is designed to recognise and reward talented young writers. It aims to encourage expressive and creative writing. Australian Year 11 and 12 students are invited to submit a piece of writing (800 to 1,000 words).The essays can be fiction or non-fiction and on any topic.
NSW Minister’s Award for Student Excellence
- Focus- This award showcases the exceptional work occurring every day across NSW public education by students - and were previously known as the Minister’s and Secretary’s Awards for Excellence.
- Eligibility- Students in NSW government secondary schools, who are in Year 12 and will complete their Higher School Certificate in the relevant calendar year, are eligible to be nominated.
- Purpose- to recognise excellence in student achievement
- Selection- students are nominated by school staff because they demonstrate achievement in one or more of the following: academic excellence; sporting and/or cultural achievements; leadership skills; commitment to the school community; and/or values such as integrity, excellence, respect, responsibility, cooperation, participation, care and fairness.
Sharon Claydon Community Spirit and Leadership Award
- Focus- This award looks to recognise the integrity and spirit of a young person who makes a difference and goes above and beyond for other people
- Eligibility- Year 12 student recognised for their leadership and integrity
- Purpose- to advocate and promote the greater good in our students
- Selection-internal school nomination and voting
Reuben F Scarf Award
- Focus- This award looks to recognise a young person who is persistent and dedicated in all they set their mind to
- Eligibility- Year 12 student showing persistence and dedication in their studies and effort
- Purpose- to advocate and promote the greater good in our students
- Selection-internal school nomination and voting
Lions Youth of the Year Program
- Focus-Encourages and fosters leadership skills in Australian students to bring forth the next generation of outstanding young Australians through connection with their local Lions Club and school
- Eligibility-Year 10/11/12
- Purpose-recognise and develop experience for students who participate in Leadership, personal improvement, sportsmanship, citizenship, community involvement, public speaking, academic skills
- Selection-students self-nominate for the Lions Youth of the year contest, initially at local level competition and onward if successful to regional, state, national levels of the competition.