Awards and Competitions
Current awards and competitions include:
Most Outstanding Year 11 Student Award
For information, see Most Outstanding Year 11.
The Whitlam Institute’s annual “What Matters?” competition
Students from year 5 to year 12 submit a 400-600 word opinion piece on what matters in society. The 2012 finalists were selected from more than 3,500 entries from over 200 schools. The 2012 finalists were:
- Year 5/6 runner-up - Rebecca Chung from Abbotsleigh College
- Year 5/6 winner - Alexander Husarek from Lapstone Public School
- Year 7/8 runner-up - Natasha Langdon from Hurlstone Agricultural High School
- Year 7/8 winner - Sheree Kuan from MLC School
- Year 9/10 runner-up - Laura Bee from North Sydney Girls High School
- Year 9/10 winner - Richard Tong from James Ruse Agricultural High School
- Year 11/12 runner-up - Tamara Lennon from Trinity Catholic School
- Year 11/12 winner - Amy Ma from Sefton High School
The finalists will attend a special What Matters? Awards Ceremony at the University of Western Sydney's Parramatta campus on Friday 17 August for the announcement of the overall competition winner.
For information on the 2012 competition, see 'What Matters?'.
UniSteers
The University of Western Sydney's Unischools Steer Challenge is run by the School of Science and Health.
Fourteen high schools from across Greater Western Sydney competed in the 2012 challenge. Each school received a Poll Hereford steer that students cared for and fed for approximately 100 days. The steers were then presented for competition at the Hawkesbury showground and the Central Coast Prime Beef Show. They were then sold on the beef market.
Participating students learnt about animal care, agricultural industries and team work.
For more information see Steers handed to schools in unique competition, Steers and students put to the test and Richmond High takes out UniSchools Steer Challenge.
Australian Brain Bee Challenge
An exciting finale to the 2012 NSW Brain Bee Challenge took place at the UWS School of Medicine on 26 July when 125 of the brightest Year 10 students from 34 schools participated in the competition. Students came from as far afield as Kempsey, Wagga Wagga and Orange.
Brain Bee aims to motivate young people to learn about the brain and was created to inspire students to pursue careers in neuroscience research.
Vivienne Qingyu Zhang from Ascham School was declared the overall champion. Second and third places were awarded to Suvercha Khattat from Blacktown Girls High School and Jasmine Nguyen from Cabramatta High School respectively.
First place in the teams competition was taken by James Ruse Agricultural High School, with Penrith High School taking second place and Baulkham Hills High School securing third place.
Students also enjoyed interactive neurophysiology workshops, presentations by scientists and UWS advanced science students, and tours of the Medicine research laboratories.
"For last six years, UWS has been lucky enough to host the Australian Brain Bee Challenge. Budding young scientists get to test their knowledge of the brain and participate in engaged learning that will hopefully help to create the next generation of scientists, doctors and health professionals," said Professor Vaughan Macefield, NSW Coordinator of the competition.
Additional information on the competition can be found on the Australian Brain Bee Challenge website.
Women of the West
The Women of the West Award is an opportunity for members of the private, public and community sectors in Greater Western Sydney to join UWS in formally recognising the contribution women have made to the development of our region. Each year women who have made a positive difference to the lives of others in the Greater West are nominated by community members for the Woman of the West Award and the Young Woman of the West award. Nominations are sought in Spring each year and the winners are announced at the University’s International Women’s Day event the following March. Nominations of women working in the school sector are encouraged.
