Philanthropy in Australian Schools to be Honoured

The philanthropic and fundraising efforts of Australian primary school children and their teachers are to be honoured in a new national award program.

SchoolAid, a Not for Profit organisation that promotes philanthropy to Australian school children and resources to principals and teachers, has launched the inaugural Kids Helping Kids Awards.

The national awards will recognise and reward the work of Australian schools and educators working to develop the next generation of strong, empowered and resilient children.

Entries open on 30 April, 2010.

Julie Martin, the Project Manager of the Kids Helping Kids Awards says SchoolAid projects encourage empathy, philanthropy and care in Australian kids, tapping into their innate compassion for their peers and kids in need, whilst fostering leadership, resilience and independence in young Australians everywhere.

Martin says the ‘Kids Helping Kids Awards’ provides a much-needed avenue for these critical life skills and values to be rewarded through a national Awards program.

Leonie Trimper, President of the Australian Primary Principals Association says SchoolAid is a unique organisation, whose sole purpose is to nurture and support the next generation of Australian philanthropists.

Trimper says the Kids Helping Kids Awards is the first time in Australia that there has been a process to acknowledge the ongoing and significant giving taking place in primary schools across the nation every day.

In addition, the ‘Kids Helping Kids Awards’ has a large list of celebrity Ambassadors and Judges, including media commentator and children’s author, Andrew Daddo, and former captain of the World Champion Australian Netball team, Anne Sargeant.

The ambassadors will visit winning schools throughout November 2010 to meet students, recognise their achievements and present prizes.

Finalists for each of the six Awards categories, and the overall ‘Best of the Best’ Award, will be selected by a panel of judges representing fields of education, philanthropy and commerce, including Professor Rosemary Ross Johnston, Director of the UTS Centre for Children and Youth, Zoe Eaton, Cartoon Network’s Associate Director of Marketing and Jane Mackarell, Microsoft’s National Academic Programs Manager.

The 2010 Kids Helping Kids Awards is supported by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation; Microsoft through its Partners in Learning Initiative (PiL); and Cartoon Network. The Awards are endorsed and supported by leading teacher and principal peak bodies including the Australian Primary Principals Association and Principals Australia.

Since SchoolAid was founded in 1999 by former school Principal and Gold Duke of Edinburgh recipient, Sean Gordon, over $2.5 million has been raised by 200,000 school students across Australia and distributed to child-focused programs from Victoria to Banda Aceh, from Katherine to Cambodia.

For more details about the Kids Helping Kids Awards go to www.schoolaid.org.au