Applications for the Premier’s Spirit of Democracy competition, which offers students the chance to explore modern democracy and what it means for young Australians, are now open.

The competition provides up to 22 Victorian school students in years 9 to 11 and four chaperone teachers the opportunity to participate in a study tour in April 2022.

The tour, which starts on Sunday 10 April 2022 and ends on Thursday 14 April 2022, will explore democracy in Victoria and Australia and tie into learning outcomes in the Victorian senior secondary curriculum.

Successful students will gain a glimpse into how ancient Greece helped shaped modern Australian democracy through the five-day study tour in Melbourne and Canberra.

The competition is targeted at students wishing to build their leadership, critical and creative thinking skills, and with interests in civics and citizenship, legal studies and history. 

Teachers are asked to encourage eligible students to apply for this exciting opportunity.

Eligibility criteria

Students must be in years 9 to 11 in 2021 and have completed the full application process outlined below.

Students must also supply a declaration of consent and support by the student’s parent or carer and a declaration of support by the school principal or principal delegate. These signed forms must be attached to the application as a PDF file.

Application process

In addition to completing the student application form, students are also required to draw on classical Greek philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle, to respond to the prompt:

‘Ancient democracy is often viewed as a system of government where the citizens of the city-state held the power. The ability to choose one’s government and fully participate is essential to an inclusive and fair society.’

Competition entries must be in one of the following formats:

·       an essay up to 800 words

·       a short story or another literary format up to 800 words

·       an audio presentation, such as a podcast (maximum 5 minutes)

·       a video presentation, such as a short film or dance (maximum 5 minutes)

·       a musical composition, such as an original song (maximum 5 minutes)

·       an artwork (painting, drawing, photograph, textile or other art form).

Students submitting a non-essay entry must also submit a statement of intent (up to 200 words). It will be assessed in conjunction with the submission against the assessment criteria and should indicate:

·       how they conducted their research or exploration

·       how the selected format relates to the student’s research and topic

·       the student’s conclusions on the topic.

Students can submit their competition entry by uploading it in their application form through the online portal.

Applications close Sunday 7 November.

Winners will be contacted directly in December 2021.

Teacher chaperones

Four teacher chaperones will also participate in the study tour.

Teachers who take part could have the opportunity to establish a professional practice project aligned to the Premier’s Spirit of Democracy outcomes. The project will allow teachers to further develop their professional practice, as well as their knowledge of:

·       the civics and citizenship curriculum and pedagogy

·       student voice, agency and leadership

·       the history of democracy and its influence on the expression of modern democracy in Australia.

Teachers can apply to accompany the group by submitting an expression of interest via the online portal.

This includes completing the online application form and including a declaration of support from their principal or principal delegate, as well as an outline of a proposed professional practice project.

Applications close Sunday 7 November.

Successful applicants will be contacted directly in December 2021.

Find out more

For more information, refer to the Spirit of Democracy website.

For further enquires, contact the Spirit of Democracy Team by email: spirit.of.democracy@education.vic.gov.au