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New South Wales

YOUTH COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD 2026

The Youth Community Service Award, conducted annually by the NSW Branch of the Order of Australia Association, will again be offered in 2026.  The Award, convened by Dianne North OAM, recognises outstanding community service by individual students, and complements those awarded for academic, sporting and leadership achievement by their schools. First offered in 1993, 2025 marked 32 years of presentation of the Award, with 2020 the only omission (Covid 19).  In that time, 716 students (428 female, 288 male), from 328 schools throughout NSW have been presented with their Awards by the Governor of NSW, in a ceremony at NSW Government House.   For the 2026 Award, invitations to nominate a student will be emailed in April to all Principals of NSW High Schools offering the NSW HSC (Higher School Certificate) or IB (International Baccalaureate) programs, with reminders sent prior to the June 5 closing date.  Nominations can only be lodged via the online form.

 

Presentation of Awards

Twenty five nominees (17 female, 8 male) were recommended by the judging panel to receive their Awards from Her Excellency, the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of NSW, at NSW Government House on August 22.

Nominees not selected for the Award received Certificates of Commendation in recognition of their service, to be  presented at their respective school award ceremonies.

2025 Awardees

THEO ADAMS, Bulli High School, Bulli; AAROHI BANSAL, Northern Beaches Secondary College, Manly, North Curl Curl; KHUSLEN BATMANDAKH, Merewether High School, Broadmeadow; ABIGAIL CAMILLERI, Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, North Sydney; LAUREN CHANNON, Clancy Catholic College, West Hoxton;  HUNTER CLARK, Jindabyne High School, Jindabyne; CAMILLA COUPLAND, The Armidale School, Armidale; EMILY DANCER-MARK, Asquith Girls High School, Asquith; HADIYA FATIMA, Macarthur Girls High School, Parramatta; BODIE FENWICK-MULCAHY, Kotara High School, Adamstown Heights; AMELIA HUXLEY, Penrith Christian School, Orchard Hills; ALYSSA JEFFRIES, The Illawarra Grammar School, Wollongong;  BLAIRE JOHNSON, Bingara Central School, Bingara; ELLIE LAZAROU, Terrigal High School, Terrigal; FINN McKINNON, Colo High School, North Richmond;  JAMIE NAFFAH, St Mary’s Cathedral College, Sydney; HARVEY OLSEN, St Edward’s College, East Gosford; LAURA PRICE, St Raphael’s Catholic School, Cowra; MAX SCALES, Cranbrook School, Bellevue Hill; HAMISH SCOTT, Macksville High School, Macksville; ANIKA SHINDE, Hurlstone Agricultural High School, Glenfield; RIDHWAN SIKDER, Homebush Boys High School, Homebush; SCARLETT SMITH, Lambton High School, Lambton; RUBY STAFFORD, Kyogle High School, Kyogle; NOAH WORRALL, Kotara High School, Adamstown Heights.

 Community Service

A summary of community service undertaken by Awardees for the years 2017 to 2025 follows:

Research and Development

  • Research, development and consultancy on technology and accessibility for the visually challenged

Campaigning and Fundraising for:

  • Program and resource support, (often including in-country service) for schools and communities in Fiji, Kenya, Tanzania, Iraq, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Samoa, Thailand, Laos, Bali, Uganda, Israel, the Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, South Africa and rural Mongolia.
  • Construction and development of facilities, resource and educational support of remote Australian indigenous communities.
  • School and university scholarships in Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and other Asian, African and South Pacific countries
  • Organisations including Zonta International, St Vincent de Paul, Red Cross, Cancer Council, Respite Care services, Prisoner Aid groups, Church Outreach Support Programs, Care for the Aged, Rural Fire Service, Bushfire Recovery, Drought and Flood Relief, Dementia Awareness and Support, Legacy, Beyond Blue, Can Assist, Headspace Youth Reference Groups, Relay for Life, 40 Hour Famine, Clean-up Australia, Surf Lifesaving, Leukemia Foundation, Redkite, Salvation Army Appeal and Share the Dignity Campaigns, The Humpty Dumpty Foundation, RU OK and Youth Leadership programs, Local Government, Youth Sport Engagement, Mental Health Forums,  Domestic Violence Victim Support, Reconciliation and NAIDOC Week, Mums for Refugees, Human and Indigenous Rights, Youth Pride, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and support networks, Muslims Around the World,, and a wide range of Environmental and Climate Change activities.

 Mentoring :

  • Disadvantaged and disengaged youth in local communities
  • Inclusion initiatives within indigenous, refugee, and other disadvantaged youth incentive programs, including education and involvement in Local Government youth advisory committees
  • Tutoring indigenous, disadvantaged, autistic, special needs, refugee, and immigrant children
  • Black Dog Institute Digital Literacy Working Group
  • Youth Entrepreneurship Incubators
  • Free Library Networks for the disadvantaged

Volunteering:

  • Active promotion and participation in programs such as Zonta International, which uses donated essentials to create and deliver birthing packages to women in prisons, remote and poorly resourced regions throughout the world
  • Advocacy and practical support for the homeless in many communities through provision of clothing, bedding, food, shelter, emotional support and representation
  • Aged care voluntary work and support programs
  • Multicultural development programs – promoting inclusion and engagement in community programs and welfare support, recognition, and support of multicultural and cross-cultural initiatives in communities
  • Disaster relief programs and activities through service with emergency services organisations such as SES and RFS in support of fire, flood and drought-affected farmers, families, and communities
  • Community youth leadership programs – initiation, engagement, and support for disengaged and disadvantaged youth
  • Promotion, participation and support programs for Women’s Shelters and refuge centres, providing victim support and participation in education programs against domestic violence
  • Prisoner and victim support groups – fund raising, publicity and donation appeals – clothing, food, other essentials such as birthing packages for female prisoners
  • Campaigning against racism and discrimination in local communities
  • Performing arts education and community radio
  • Involvement in wide ranging community health initiatives such as Headspace, Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Programs
  • Campaigning for environmental awareness initiatives and action for climate change at local, state and national levels
  • Introduction of tactile banknotes for the visually impaired
  • Campaigning for acceptance and advocacy for inclusion of immigrants and refugees
  • Service learning for development, representation at Local, National, and international workshops and conferences
  • Coaching disadvantaged, disabled, refugee and low-income youth across a range of sports and physical activities including wheelchair Rugby Union and League, tennis, athletics and surfing
  • Advocacy, safe space and support for gender diverse youth in schools and their wider communities