CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNING SCHOOLS IN THE 2010 KIDS HELPING KIDS AWARDS!

Following an incredible response from schools right across Australia, and considerable deliberation from our esteemed Judging Panel, SchoolAid is delighted to announce the winners in the inaugural KIDS HELPING KIDS AWARDS 2010!

Microsoft Most Innovative- The Wilderness School (SA)  

The Wilderness School is an all-girls school committed to being true to the vision of the school's founders who believed in the need for unlimited kindness, joy in learning and academic adventure, a spirit of humility and the balance between seeking individual excellence and success and generous service to the community.

Over the past 12 years, the school has raised a total of over $100,000 to support various projects focused on education and public health in Nepal. Fundraising takes the form of a fundraising dinner (which raised over $38,000) casual dress days, a levy on school formal tickets and the pinnacle fo their fundraising achievement - a stunning photographic coffee table book, Wilderness in Nepal which is sold locally and internationally.

Students trek to the Annapurna region, visiting Bhadure School (which was built and is sustained by funds raised by the Wilderness School) to observe the impact they have on the community. They also renew their commitment each year to donate $5000 for the school.

On the treks, the students are also fortunate enough to meet the young Nepalese women who receive scholarships from funds raised by the Wilderness School which allow them to complete their secondary education.

The school is currently developing the framework for a 'community bank' in Nepal which will be geared to providing no-interest loans to Nepalese families to support their children's education.

Outstanding Individual Teacher - Sorell Public School (TAS)

Ms Moya Sharpe, a teacher at Sorell Primary, returned from her first visit to Cambodia in 2007, and having been so moved by her experiences with communities in Cambodia, approached Sorell Primary's Student Representative Council with an idea to fundraise for Cambodian orphan children in need.

Since that year, Sorell School has held an annual 'Hush-a-thon', where students are sponsored to sit in silence for 5 minutes while they watch a student-produced presentation about the kids in Cambodia who are helped by their fundraising .

Over $4,200 has been raised so far this year to support kids in need in Cambodia which has been hand-delivered directly to Cambodia by school staff members to support kids living in orphanages.

Through Camkids Charity www.camkids.org , the students' money has been spent on rice, dentist visits, school books, vegetable seedlings, fish for the ponds and fruit trees. The Sorell Primary School students and school community are in regular contact with the trustees of Camkids charity and students are regularly informed by email and feedback from staff visits about how their money is spent, and the impact their philanthropic action has had on the lives of so many Cambodians.

Sustainability- Keyneton Primary School (SA)

Keyneton Primary School has an amazing culture of philanthropy with a very small school of 30 students. Each and every student at Keyneton Primary is a member of the school's Student Representative Council!

The kids at Keyneton Primary witnessed the devastation of the Haitian disaster through news and media reports, and felt compelled to help in any way they could. The school has a strong affinity with Indonesia - teaching Bahasa Indonesia to the students, and learning about the culture. With this in mind, the students decided to have a 'Nasi Goreng' day. Staff donated the ingredients and both the students and the teachers prepared and cooked the nasi goreng! Upper Primary School student Caitlin drives the philanthropic work of the school this year, along with other students, by presenting suggestions for charitable fundraising to all the students.

Keyneton Primary holds a different fundraiser each term, each with a different focus.

Biggest Fundraiser- St Lawrence's Primary School (WA)

Over $10,000 raised so far this year

The 480 students of St Lawrence's Primary School are encouraged to care for those less fortunate, and each class is asked to devise fundraising projects each term to raise funds to assist a variety of charities and projects throughout the local and global community. Many of these projects and events are run independently by the children during recess and lunch breaks. Fundraising initiatives include craft stalls, food stalls, colouring competitions, pirate and safari dress-up days, change from lunch money and voluntary donations.

Project Compassion- one of the initiatives of the school is a term-long project to integrate the children's philanthropic action with their curriculum. The theme for 2010 was "Blueprint for a Better World" and the goal was to assist in acknowledging and reducing world poverty.  

St Lawrence's Primary School is committed to fundraising to assist those in need, and educational presentations are conducted throughout the year to further students' awareness of the plight of many in our world. As a part of this school's commitment to philanthropy, the school community has recently raised funds to provide emergency relief to flood affected people across Pakistan, following the country's terrible natural disasters.

Best Local Project- Greenlands Primary School (QLD)   

Greenlands Primary School and its dedicated P&C have raised over $130,000 profit since the 2005. The school is in a drought-stricken rural community with limited access to facilities so the fundraising team put serious thought into ways that they could turn their weaknesses (such as their remoteness) into strengths. They realized that they had access to considerable areas of land with no noise restrictions. The local community has a great interest in trail bike rising. so in 2005, the first Greenlands Trail Ride was held.

It is now one of the major annual community events for the region, one of the largest Motorcycling Australia events held annually and draws thousands of spectators, participants and media from across the state.

All profit is donated back to the school and facilities for its local community, with the majority of aspects of school life being subsidised by this fundraising event. From provision of books, to construction of school playgrounds and facilities for school and community use, and the installation of air conditioning for classrooms in this drought-affected rural location, the Ride has had a huge impact on improving the quality of students' experience at the school, including drawing additional students from the wider community and doubling the school population, thereby supporting kids in need both within the school and throughout the local region.

Cartoon Network Hero Award- Beaumaris North Primary School (VIC)

Students at Beaumaris North organised and ran their own mini-fete. Their activities included managing everything from financial start-up costs, advertising, arranging donations of food and items for stalls.

The senior primary students held stalls including food and drink stalls, disco rooms, cinemas, billycart rides and a chocolate coin toss. Over 500 kids were invited to attend the mini-fete and the day raised over $4400 to support the disasters in Samoa and Indonesia in September 2009.

Jetstar Best of the Best- Sorell Public School (TAS)

Ms Moya Sharpe, a teacher at Sorell Primary, returned from her first visit to Cambodia in 2007, and having been so moved by her experiences with communities in Cambodia, approached Sorell Primary's Student Representative Council with an idea to fundraise for Cambodian orphan children in need.

Since that year, Sorell School has held an annual 'Hush-a-thon', where students are sponsored to sit in silence for 5 minutes while they watch a student-produced presentation about the kids in Cambodia who are helped by their fundraising .

Over $4,200 has been raised so far this year to support kids in need in Cambodia which has been hand-delivered directly to Cambodia by school staff members to support kids living in orphanages.

Through Camkids Charity www.camkids.org , the students' money has been spent on rice, dentist visits, school books, vegetable seedlings, fish for the ponds and fruit trees. The Sorell Primary School students and school community are in regular contact with the trustees of Camkids charity and students are regularly informed by email and feedback from staff visits about how their money is spent, and the impact their philanthropic action has had on the lives of so many Cambodians. 

Everyone's a winner, with all participating schools appearing on our 'Awards Honour Roll' and receiving a certificate for their participation in the Awards. 

Congratulating our winning schools, SchoolAid's Founder and Awards Judge Sean Gordon said:

"The amazing giving that takes place in schools every day in schools is often overlooked, but its impact is enormous. Schools and the educators within them drive philanthropy and encourage the development of Australia's next generation of caring, empathetic individuals. The Kids Helping Kids Awards was created to recognise and reward school-based giving. So it's with great pleasure that I send all the winning schools my heartfelt congratulations for their achievement in the Awards! "

Thoughout November and December, our winning schools will receive personal visits from our celebrity Ambassadors:

Andrew Daddo, Anne Sargeant, Sara Haghdoosti, Steve Crombie, Stone Parade, David Wirrpanda and Cartoon Network's Ben 10 and his inflatable obstacle course.  Ambassadors will meet the students and teachers, spend time with the kids and personally deliver their amazing cash, technology and entertainment prizes!

SchoolAid would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful Awards partners, including the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation who is our primary partner in the Kids Helping Kids Awards. Microsoft through its 'Partners in Learning' initiative has partnered with SchoolAid for the Awards and donated amazing technology prizes for our winning schools. Cartoon Network's partnership has provided both promotion for the Awards to their audience of young Aussies, and amazing entertainment prizes for the winner of the 'Cartoon Network Hero Award'.