Resources and Competitions
Competitions
John Button School Prize
The first John Button School Prize was awarded in 2011.
The winner was Thomas Posa from Melbourne High School who wrote an essay on Healthcare Policy Reform.
Pheobe Jones from Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak (Mandatory Detention isn't the solution), and Anna Gruen from Melbourne Girls Grammar School (Carbon Tax Debate), received Honourable Mentions.
The prize of $2500 is awarded to a Victorian student for the best piece of writing on a subject concerning Australia's future. The competition is open to students in Years 10-12 and younger than 19. $2000 is also awarded to the winning student's school. Social Education Victoria is a proud supporter of this excellent initiative.
The Prize has been instituted to commemorate the life, work and writing of John Button, who was a Victorian Federal Minister who believed that good ideas and good writing could make Australia a better place. The John Button Schools Prize seeks to encourage senior students who also feel strongly about Australia’s future to publish their best ideas in an essay.
Essays submitted for the prize should discuss Australian politics or public policy. They might address topics such as: Australia's population, climate change, reconciliation with Indigenous Australians, water, asylum seekers, education, health, the state of the Arts.
Stay tuned for details for the Prize in 2012. For more details, go to http://johnbuttonprize.org.au/the-school-prize
Social Justice
Oxfam Education Resources
We all know that the young people of today shape the world of tomorrow. Oxfam believes that when supported to become active citizens, young people can be an effective force for social change, equity and justice – now and in the future. Check out the Oxfam Education resource page at http://www.oxfam.org.au/explore/education/education-resources for free resources for teachers and students.
Oxfam now has a a youth movement called 3things aims to engage students in social justice through popular youth culture. Check it out at http://www.3things.org.au/students.
