Announcement: 2025 National Awards Recipients
The Australian Council for Student Voice (ACSV) is proud to announce the winners of our 2025 National Awards, recognising outstanding initiatives in student voice and partnership across Australia.
These awards celebrate schools, students, and partners who are leading thoughtful, collaborative, and impactful work, not just imagining better futures, but actively shaping them.
Across two categories (the Student Voice Impact Award and the Partnership for Change Award) we received an inspiring range of nominations from across the country, showcasing how students are driving change in their communities, strengthening schools, and influencing the systems that affect their lives.
The quality of submissions this year was exceptional. Each entry demonstrated the strength of student voice when it is valued, supported, and embedded into the everyday life of schools and organisations.
These young people are not the leaders of tomorrow; they are the leaders of today.
Student Voice Impact Award
Winner: Yeronga State High School
At Yeronga State High School, student-led summits have become a core mechanism for embedding student voice in the life of the school. These summits—initiated in response to issues like Black Lives Matter—have grown into a regular, structured model where students identify pressing issues, generate solutions, and present action plans to school leadership. Topics have ranged from uniform policy and school rules to intercultural leadership and transition support for Year 7 students. The impact is clear: changes are not symbolic but systemic, and student voice is now central to strategic planning. Yeronga shows what’s possible when students are trusted to lead.
Highly Commended
Albert Park College: Sustainability Subcommittee
Albert Park College’s Sustainability Subcommittee is a student-led initiative within a broader culture of strong student voice. Emerging from the school’s large and active Student Representative Council, the subcommittee has driven a range of meaningful environmental actions—from securing solar panel grants to organising a month-long Walk and Wheel campaign promoting greener transport. Students led the planning, communication, and execution of the campaign, with measurable outcomes and community engagement. This work exemplifies how student voice can lead to sustainable, school-wide impact.
Melbourne High School: History Club
The Melbourne High School History Club is a vibrant example of student initiative and partnership. With over 250 members, the club operates across events, meetings, and media, providing inclusive and creative ways for students to engage with history. From cross-school forums on controversial topics to history-themed game shows and guest lectures by political and academic figures, students have designed a rich and engaging extracurricular culture. Their commitment to outreach through social media and video content further highlights the scope and professionalism of the work.
Partnership for Change Award
Winner: Brisbane Catholic Education Student Voice Network
The Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) Student Voice Network exemplifies how sustained, system-wide partnerships between students and staff can drive meaningful change. Emerging from student safety work in 2017, BCE’s student voice efforts grew into a formal online network launched in February 2024—connecting 134 students from 34 schools, now expanded to 242 students across 37 schools. Co-led by students and supported by trained Student Voice Consultants, the Network facilitates consultation on BCE strategies, policies, and student wellbeing resources.
Highly Commended
South Australian Student Representative Council
Established in 2022 by the SA Commissioner for Children and Young People, the SA SRC supports Year 10–12 students to lead advocacy campaigns on issues that matter to them. Students receive training in activism, media, and democratic action; conduct peer polling; and directly engage with decision-makers—including state MPs. Their Fitness for Free campaign successfully expanded state grant funding to provide free access to council recreation centres for secondary students. With campaigns spanning the environment, education, and wellbeing, the SA SRC positions students as change-makers and experts in their own lives.
The Youth Voice Project (Vincentia High School & Firefly/Uniting)
The Youth Voice Project trains students as peer researchers to co-lead school improvement and community development initiatives. With strong adult partnerships and support from Firefly/Uniting, students investigated key issues and led initiatives such as a Breakfast Club expansion, ASD and carer support programs, and public art projects. Students have presented to local councils and helped develop a long-term Youth Voice Roadmap. The project embeds shared decision-making, builds leadership capacity, and ensures sustainable student-led action through deep cross-sector collaboration.
We congratulate all finalists and warmly celebrate this year’s award recipients. Their work reflects the power of student voice when grounded in trust, inclusion, and shared purpose.
The ACSV thanks all nominees, voters, and community members who contributed to the 2025 awards. Together, we are building a stronger, fairer, and more democratic education system.
For further information, please contact:
awards@studentvoice.org.au