Youth Awards

This award recognises young people or groups of young people who have showed leadership in their community. This includes young people or groups who provide a positive and rewarding service to young people in their community, demonstrate excellence in leadership skills and are making a positive impact in their community, promote and ensure safety of young people in the greater community or make positive difference to the environment.

This may be demonstrated through the following:

• Behaviours that show the welfare of their community and the people within it is at the heart of what they do; volunteers their time generously, willingly and selflessly, or actively contributes towards the positive development of their community.
• leadership, commitment and positive role modelling within their chosen community whether that be sports, arts, education or other community-based activities

This award recognises a young person who has demonstrated personal growth and endurance to overcome hardships or to achieve their goals.

This may be demonstrated but is not limited to any of the following:

• Family
• Culture
• Sexual orientation
• Geographic Location
• Long-term unemployment
• Health
• Disability
• Education 

This award recognises a Youth Worker that has demonstrated commitment to the wellbeing, participation and capacity building within their role. Workers include but are not limited to Police, Child Protection, Health, Education, Youth Work and Youth Services including those working with young people in the sports and recreation and arts and culture sector.

This may be demonstrated through the following:

• Act as role model for their peers and excelled at building positive relationships with young people
• Made significant improvement in policy and practice in engagement

• Nominees must be between 12 and 25 years of age as of 1 January 2024
• Nominees must either live, work, volunteer or study in the Mildura Rural City Council municipality. Preference is given to nominees whose application displays involvement or participation within the Mildura Rural City Council community.
• Applicants who have moved due to study or work commitments are still eligible to enter if they have lived, worked volunteered or studied in the Mildura region over the previous 12 months
• Applicants must consent to the nomination
• Emphasis is given to qualities displayed within the nominated category over the previous 12 months. Consideration is still given to involvement in this category prior to these 12 months
• Entries must be received by Mildura Rural City Council Youth Services by 5pm on Friday 25 August 2023 information on the nomination form will be assessed against the judging criteria
• Recipients of a Youth Award in the previous two years will not be eligible to be nominated for an award in their winning category. However, they can be nominated for another category.
• Winners of previous Youth Awards can only apply for a different category to that which they previously won, except in the group awards category where if a minimum of 80 percent of members were not part of the group which won the award, then they are eligible to apply again.
• For any group nominations, at least 80 percent of the group members must be between 12 and 25 years of age.
• All nomination information and material submitted remains the property of Mildura Rural City Council and may not be returned.
• Nominees agree to make themselves available without cost for publicity purposes as required prior to and after the awards presentation.
• Nominees agree to allow the use of their nomination information for publicity purposes.
• Those selected as finalists should be available to attend the awards night (inability to attend does not disqualify entry)
• A nomination can be withdrawn at any stage at the discretion of the judging panel if a recipient’s character is called into question
• The judging panel's decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into

Judging will be based on the Application Form, achievements during the past year, participation in their chosen field and selection criteria.All young people nominated will be recognised for their achievements and/or contribution to the local community. The award winners will receive a $200 voucher, trophy and a certificate from Mildura Rural City Council.

All young people nominated were recognised at a formal dinner on Thursday 5 October 2023 at Mildura Golf Club.

They received a certificate from Mildura Rural City Council for their achievements and or contribution to the local community. Individual award winners will receive a $200 voucher and a trophy.