Finalists for this year's Victorian Education Excellence Awards (VEEA) have been announced, with 41 finalists across 14 categories recognised for their achievements in education this year.
The VEEAs recognise inspirational education staff who improve schools and support children and young people to develop the skills and learning outcomes they need to succeed in life.
Now in its twentieth year, the VEEAs are the premier employee recognition program for staff in Victorian government schools.
This year, 41 finalists have been announced across 14 award categories recognising outstanding teachers, principals, school improvement and education support staff. The finalists include:
- education support staff who have helped culturally and linguistically diverse families during lockdown, guiding students through remote learning to achieve learning outcomes
- early career teachers who have made an enormous impact in a short space of time, significantly developing the capacity and confidence of staff and students at their school
- principals who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication to delivering quality education in Victoria and a commitment to improving and sustaining excellence.
In addition, this year's finalists include outstanding educators in two new categories, introduced to recognise excellent teachers in the first five years of their career.
These new awards complement Excellence in Teacher Education reforms, supporting early career teachers to become excellent teachers and leaders by providing further support for professional development.
Winners will be announced on Friday 22 October.
About the awards
Nominees for the awards are selected by a panel of judges following a thorough application, shortlisting and interview process.
Winners are awarded professional development grants of up to $25,000 to support their work.
Winners of category awards will also be eligible to win Victoria's top public education prize, the Lindsay Thompson Award for Excellence in Education, and a further $20,000 grant. This award goes to the winner of a VEEA award category judged to be most outstanding.
Recognising Victorian teachers
Andrew Mcconchie, winner of the 2020 Outstanding Secondary Teacher and Lindsay Thompson Award for Excellence in Education awards, said that the awards were a fantastic way to recognise teachers and learn about the great work happening across the state.
'It makes everybody involved feel a part of something bigger and reminds us that the work of teachers is valued and seen as important,' Andrew said.
'The very best thing about teaching was being able to be a part of someone else's journey, realising their potential and helping them find and develop their aspirations.'
Find out more
For more information, and to view the full list of finalists and their profiles, refer to the VEEA web page.
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