Anzac Day Schools' Awards

Annual theme

The theme for 2023 is:

Commemorating Australia's Vietnam War service

This aligns with the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Your entry must focus on the Vietnam War and the service of Australian veterans.

Entries close at 5 pm AEST Wednesday 31 May 2023.

Download the Anzac Day Schools' Awards poster (PDF 970kB) to promote the competition in your school.

How to enter

Step 1: Plan your commemoration

Plan how students at your school will learn about and commemorate Australian service personnel who served during the Vietnam War.

Commemoration is one way we remember and honour Australia’s service men and women. Many schools hold special ceremonies or assemblies to commemorate significant dates such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.

We encourage you to consider other creative and innovative ways for students to commemorate and be involved in learning about the Vietnam War. Your entry should show how students engaged with veterans' personal stories and reflected on their learning.

Some ideas to commemorate service during the Vietnam War:

• A podcast with veteran interviews for students in other year levels.
• A museum exhibition design for a gallery walk or virtual tour.
• A video chronicling the life and contributions of Australian Vietnam War veterans.
• A website to share veterans' stories and student investigations.
• A class artwork, mural, garden or memorial to reflect an aspect of service in the Vietnam War and commemoration.

Step 2: Research the Vietnam War

Historical research using credible sources is important for students to develop a good understanding of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. These pages may help your students:

• Vietnam War 1962 to 1975
• Australia and the Vietnam War (new book)
• Australian experiences in the Vietnam War: In Their Own Words
• Veterans' Stories oral history interviews
• Australian Media and the Vietnam War: Great Debates
• Recording oral histories with veterans

Other helpful websites:

• Australian War Memorial
• Australians at War Film Archive
• National Archives of Australia
• National Sound and Film Archive
• National Library of Australia and state libraries.

Step 3: Check the entry requirements

Please carefully read these entry requirements early in your preparation to avoid difficulties later. Your entry must focus on the Vietnam War and the service of Australian veterans to be eligible.

Each school is limited to one entry. If a school submits multiple entries, only the final submitted entry will be assessed by the judging panel.

All entries should be coordinated by a teacher or school leader.

There will be 2 parts to your entry: a rationale and a submission.

1. Your entry must include a rationale (up to 500 words) of the activities and learning undertaken by students about the Vietnam War. It would help your entry to include how your submission meets the award criteria. This is in addition to the word or time limits for the format that you choose.
2. You may choose one of the following formats for your submission:

• A PowerPoint presentation or similar (maximum of 15 slides). This may include a 2-minute video if embedded.
• A 2-minute video or podcast (in an acceptable file format).
• Written content and images, such as poems, artworks, creative writing, or a link to a website. A maximum of 10 text or web pages will be accepted, including images. Images must be in JPEG format.

Your entry must be in one of these acceptable file formats: gif, jpg, jpeg, png, txt, pdf, doc, docx, mov, mp3, mp4, zip, ppt, pptx with a file size of no more than 100 MB.

Step 4: Submit your entry

Make sure you submit your entry before 5 pm AEST Wednesday 31 May 2023.

If you have any questions or experience technical difficulties when submitting your entry, email education@dva.gov.au.

Enter now

Prizes

• National School Award – $5,000
• State/Territory School Awards – $3,000 each
• Brigadier Bill Rolfe AO Award for Veteran Involvement – $2,000
• Award for Innovative Commemoration – $2,000
• Award for Creative Use of Technology – $2,000
• Remote Schools Award – $2,000
• Specialist Educational Settings Award – $2,000

Awards criteria

A panel of judges who include veterans, teachers and DVA staff will assess all entries.

To be eligible for an award in the 2023 Anzac Day Schools’ Awards, your entry must focus on Commemorating Vietnam War service.

Entries are judged on these criteria, which are evenly weighted:

• Commitment to the 2023 theme: Commemorating Vietnam War service.
• Engagement with veterans or current-serving members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) - in person, virtually or using primary source materials, such as video interviews with veterans like those in the Stories of Service section on the Anzac Portal or letters from service personnel.
• Evidence of student-led learning.
• Quality of research using credible primary and secondary sources.
• Innovative learning activities.
• Demonstrate understanding and empathy through reflection.
• Overall quality and presentation of entry compared to others.

Our judges will be looking for high-quality entries that show evidence of:

• extended learning and engagement over a long period (for example, over the term, as opposed to a single assembly)
• engagement across multiple classes or year levels.

Winning entries will be showcased on the Anzac Portal, including photos and a description of their submission. See the 2022 winners.

Special category awards

Brigadier Bill Rolfe AO Award for Veteran Involvement

An entry that includes significant and relevant involvement by veterans and/or current serving members of the ADF.

Award for Innovative Commemoration

An original and creative learning activity that engages students in commemoration.

Award for Creative Use of Technology

The strongest entry using technologies in a creative and thoughtful way to engage students in learning about commemoration, including apps, websites, stop motion and movies.

Remote Schools Award

The strongest entry from a remote or very remote school. This includes the School of the Air or similar institutions.

Specialist Educational Setting Award

The strongest entry from a school that provides specialist and intensive support in a dedicated educational setting.

Certificates of Excellence

Awarded to entries that meet one or more criteria to a high standard but do not receive a major prize.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about the awards, please email education@dva.gov.au.