Primary Ethics is delighted to announce the Volunteer of the Year Award 2026. The award will recognise the often-unsung efforts of our wonderful volunteers. The chosen recipients will receive public appreciation for their efforts and commitment to Primary Ethics as well as bringing prize money to their schools.
There are three categories as part of this year’s award. These are Team of the year, Coordinator of the year and Regional champion of the year.
These awards will honour volunteers who have strongly contributed to the success of the ethics program at their school (or schools). We want to acknowledge team players, good communicators, people who are supportive of other volunteers, reliable and committed to our program of ethics education. Our program would not have developed to where it is today without them. They have conducted themselves true to our values of respect, integrity, independence, excellence and teamwork.
The award is open to all ethics teachers, coordinators, regional managers and members of the Classroom Support Team (except individual Primary Ethics staff – though they are eligible as members of a team). Every volunteer can nominate other volunteers for this award – there is no limit on numbers of nominations. Only volunteers who have been active in 2026 are eligible to be nominated.
For Coordinator of the year, we are looking for someone who:
- Advocates strongly for ethics education within the school community
- Exhibits great communication with schools and parents
- Creates a strong community of volunteers and consistently maintains an active school program.
For Regional champion of the year, we are looking for someone who:
- Makes an outstanding contribution to ethics education outside the Sydney Metro area. [Sydney metro includes the Blue Mountains.]
For Team of the year, we are looking for a team who:
- Makes a collective contribution to an exceptional ethics education program at their school
- Demonstrates great commitment to their school ethics program.
Nominations close at midnight on Friday 25 September, 2026.
The winner will be announced in November 2026.
We will present the award to the winners at a ceremony in our Sydney city office on 10 December 2026.
The prize
The winners in each category have the privilege of directing $500 to the library service in their schools. They will be awarded a framed certificate and their school library will be given a display book commemorating the award containing a bookplate with details of the winner.
Why the Volunteer of the Year Award?
Primary Ethics is a volunteer-powered organisation. We cannot deliver ethics programs in NSW schools without our volunteers. This award program is now in its fifth year and we wish to continue to recognise outstanding volunteer service.
The judging panel
The judging panel will be comprised of:
- The Chair of the Primary Ethics Board, Roger Reidy
- COO of Primary Ethics, Laura Ramos
- A member of the Primary Ethics Engagement Committee
- Two randomly selected volunteers – you can express interest in being on the panel on any nomination form.
Now is the time to think, reason and if necessary discuss your reasons for choosing your nominee – and then go ahead and nominate them!