The 19th Annual Nanga Mai Awards
Nomination Guidelines
Now is the time to nominate your students, teachers, other departmental staff, community members and NSW Public Schools for a NSW Department of Education Nanga Mai award.
These guidelines will answer your questions about the nomination process, eligibility, and selection criteria for a Nanga Mai Award.
What are the NSW Department of Education Nanga Mai Awards?
The NSW Department of Education Nanga Mai Awards are held to celebrate and recognise excellence and educational achievements in Aboriginal Education in New South Wales public schools and their school communities. The awards are an opportunity for the NSW Department of Education to celebrate and promote the educational achievements of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students and Aboriginal education.
Award winners will be recognised in a special award ceremony in Term 4, 2024, highlighting all the outstanding achievements in Aboriginal Education. Further details regarding the ceremony will be published via the Department’s Nanga Mai website as they become available. The NSW Department of Education 19th Nanga Mai Awards ceremony will be held on Monday 25 November 2024 at the Department of Education Parramatta office.
Who can be nominated?
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal teachers, other departmental staff, community members and NSW public schools.
Below are the award categories for the NSW Department of Education 19th Nanga Mai awards for your information and reference. Nomination forms
Who can nominate for an award?
Anyone employed by NSW Department of Education can submit a nomination for an award. Before you commence the online nomination, you will be required to certify that you are a departmental employee.
Can I nominate a person for more than one award?
Candidates can be nominated for more than one award. You must submit a separate form for each category.
When do nominations open and close?
Nominations open Monday 22 July 2024 and close Friday 16 August 2024.
How do you prepare a nomination?
The nomination must contain comprehensive information on the nominated recipients’ achievements and how the candidate has either excelled as a student, or as a staff member, or Community member, or as a school. The nomination should include recent, specific examples of the nominee’s outstanding achievement(s). The nomination should be written in a format suitable for publication, including correct grammar and punctuation and no longer than 200 words.
Complete the online form once open. The online form is easy to access and understand. Before beginning, you will need to gather key information:
- Details of the person you are nominating.
- A nomination statement of up to 200 words, of who/why you are nominating, including the area(s) in which they have excelled.
- Examples of how they have demonstrated outstanding qualities, including notable achievements.
- Previous awards or recognition received by the nominee (if any).
- Endorsement by the Principal and local or regional Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) representative.
- Please note: if your area does not have an AECG executive representative, contact the NSW Secretariat on (02) 9550 5666.
Nomination forms
Who selects the award winners?
Nominations are presented to regional and state panels for consideration. Awards will be presented to outstanding Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal teachers, other departmental staff, community members and NSW public schools.
Regional panel members consist of a Senior Education Officer 2 (SEO2), principal representative, Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer and AECG representative (local/regional).
State panel members consist of representatives from the Aboriginal Education and Communities directorate, Primary Principals Association, Secondary Principals Council, NSW AECG, the Aboriginal Education Council, the Parents & Citizens Association and the NSW Teachers Federation.
Are nominators advised?
Nominators and/or principals are advised of the outcome of nominations after the award ceremony and official publications, unless their nominee is selected as an award winner.
How are recipients told of their award?
Recipients of student and staff awards will be notified via email to the principal prior to the ceremony. Recipients of School and Community awards will be notified directly via email prior to the ceremony.
Details about the award ceremony will be provided.
More information or help
If you have any other questions or queries relating to the Nanga Mai awards, please contact the Nanga Mai awards coordination team at nangamai@det.nsw.edu.au
Award Categories
Aboriginal students who are currently a student at a NSW public schools are eligible to be nominated for one (or more) of the following awards:
Outstanding All-Round Student (Primary and Secondary award winners)
Presented to an Aboriginal student who has demonstrated outstanding commitment and excellence across a range of activities, including attendance, leadership, academic commitment and progress, community service, cultural commitments, and a positive attitude to school.
Outstanding Academic Excellence (Primary and Secondary award winners)
Presented to an Aboriginal student who has demonstrated outstanding academic excellence in any curriculum area in 2023 and who have displayed a positive attitude to school and a commitment to their future.
Outstanding Student Leadership (Primary and Secondary award winners)
Presented to an Aboriginal student who has demonstrated exceptional skills in promoting, encouraging, and supporting student participation across their school and in their community.
Outstanding Achievement in Public Speaking (Primary and Secondary award winners)
Presented to an Aboriginal student who has demonstrated exemplary skills in public speaking. The award recognises Aboriginal students’ ability to speak with authority and confidence and the ability to maintain audience interest.
Outstanding Achievement in Performing/Creative/Visual Arts (Primary and Secondary award winners)
Presented to an Aboriginal student who has demonstrated outstanding talent and application in the performing, creative or visual arts.
Outstanding Achievement in Sport (Primary and Secondary award winners)
Presented to an Aboriginal student who has represented their school and community, demonstrated fairness, integrity, and outstanding achievement in sport.
NSW DoE Outstanding School-Based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year
Presented to an Aboriginal student who has maintained outstanding commitment, effort, and application in completing their School Based Apprenticeship/Traineeship, which includes high application to a workplace training and VET course, alongside their HSC.
NSW DoE Outstanding VET in Schools Student of the Year
Presented to an Aboriginal student who has demonstrated outstanding achievement, commitment, effort, and application to completing their Vocational Education and Training (VET) and HSC commitments.
Staff who are current employees of the department are eligible to be nominated for one (or more) of the following awards:
Outstanding contribution to educational achievement by an Aboriginal staff member
Presented to an Aboriginal employee of the NSW Department of Education who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal students, their families, and communities.
Outstanding contribution to early educational achievement by an Aboriginal staff member
Presented to an Aboriginal employee within the NSW Early Education and Care sector who delivers authentic, culturally responsive care for Aboriginal students, showing outstanding commitment to improving educational outcomes for students, their families, and communities.
Outstanding contribution to educational achievement by a non-Aboriginal staff member
Presented to a non-Aboriginal employee of the NSW Department of Education who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal students and a commitment to working with Aboriginal students, their families, and communities.
Outstanding leadership in Aboriginal education
Presented to an NSW Department of Education employee who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and capacity building among staff, schools and the school community and an ongoing commitment to improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal students.
Outstanding leadership in Aboriginal languages
Presented to a NSW Department of Education employee who has demonstrated strong commitment to improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal students through the implementation of a school Aboriginal languages program.
Outstanding contribution to educational achievement by a non-school based staff member
Presented to a non-school based employee of the NSW Department of Education who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the well-being and educational achievements of Aboriginal students.
NSW Public Schools and Aboriginal community members are eligible to be nominated for one (or more) of the following awards:
Outstanding Early Education and Care service
Presented to a service that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to creating a respectful and culturally responsive learning environment for students, staff, families, and their local Aboriginal communities.
Outstanding contribution to educational achievement by an Aboriginal community member
Presented to an Aboriginal community member who has contributed significantly to the successful educational achievement of Aboriginal students.
Outstanding school and community partnership
Presented to a school that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to respectful and productive partnerships with students, staff, parents, and their local Aboriginal communities.
Outstanding commitment to increasing knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal histories, culture, and experiences of Aboriginal people.
Presented to a school or a community of schools that have demonstrated a strong commitment to establishing a culture of respect, caring and inclusive teaching practices which recognise, value, and meet the diverse needs of Aboriginal students.
Current employees of the department are eligible to be nominated for the following award:
Outstanding contribution to educational achievement by a non-school-based staff member
Presented to a non-school-based employee of the NSW Department of Education who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the well-being and educational achievements of Aboriginal students.