This award is for a service learning project run by an individual student or group of students whose actions have had a positive and purposeful impact on a community. The experience could involve purposeful and meaningful action taken to transform the environment, community infrastructures, community spaces and assets, or community issues reflecting specific needs.

Many action experiences could align with this award. The key focus is community or environmental engagement that is positive and sustainable.

Students who apply for this award must be able to demonstrate:

• personal attributes of a changemaker (which could include a deep awareness of global issues and the Sustainable Development Goals, active listening, mature awareness of self and others, and a commitment to purposeful and critical action over time)
• an understanding of community assets and needs
• an understanding of reciprocal community partnerships and action
• an understanding of the principles of sustainable development
• integration into the school’s service learning program or initiatives, and connection to a curricular area of study
• clear planning documents for the action experience (which could include action plans, timelines, rationales and outcomes)
• the ability to take action sustainably and reciprocally, either face-to-face or online, to create impact and positive, purposeful change
• a detailed rationale or plan of how prize money from this award would be used to extend sustainable action and change with this partnership/experience*
• clear reflection about the impact of what happened in the experience, including positive and sustainable outcomes as well as areas of growth/improvement

Prizes:

A US$ 2,500 award will be granted to the school in recognition of the outstanding service and commitment to the community demonstrated by the group of students. The award will go towards enabling the growth and further impact of the service project.

Nomination Guidelines

• Each AISA full-member school is invited to nominate a project each year to be considered for this award.
• Only one application per school per award.
• A formal communication and plaque of recognition will be sent to the winners’ school heads and counsellors. The public announcement and award presentation will then take place at the AISA Global Issues Service Summit (AISA-GISS), a student-led learning event.

Key Nomination Dates: 

• Opening Date: 01 August
• Close Date: 31 October
• Announcement: February (at AISA-GISS)