JRS Youth Award

The JRS Youth Award was launched in 2009 with the aim of highlighting the plight of refugees around the world as well as the work undertaken by JRS both in Australia and abroad.

The competition is open to students of all Australian schools in Years 9 to 12, and is divided in two categories: Years 9-10 and Years 11-12. Working in groups of three to five, students are required to engage with the broad topic of refugees and asylum seekers in the following ways:

• Research into the plight of asylum seekers/refugees both in Australia and abroad.
• Interviews (face-to-face, via telephone or email) with asylum seekers/refugees in the community.
• Creation of a multi-media project that summarises the group's findings, provides analysis and offers possible resolutions. Students may choose a format that best represents their ideas: advertisements, radio segments, short films, websites, PowerPoint presentations, artworks or other multi-media platforms.

The award provides schools with a unique opportunity to enhance their social justice programs by collaborating with a global organisation which plays invaluable role both locally and abroad in the provision of services to asylum seekers and refugees. JRS will assist students through access to online resources and by facilitating meetings with refugees and asylum seekers.

Entries are due in early September of each year, and will be judged by a JRS-appointed panel which includes a representative from the Australian refugee community. Winners in each category receive a cash prize.