Children’s Writing Competition

Celebrating World Environment Day

On Wednesday June 5, World Environment Day, Ballarat's budding young environmentalists gathered to receive their certificates and prizes as winners in the 2024  BREAZE Children's Writing Competition, an event BREAZE has been running since 2018. 

This year we were delighted to have Juliana Addison MP, Member for Wendouree, who generously took time out of her busy schedule to present the prizes. Drawing on her former profession and skills as a teacher, Juliana entered into the spirit of the event, posing for parental snaps with each excited award winner as they shook hands and received their certificates. 

The event was held in Ballarat's newly renovated Central Library, which proved an excellent venue for seating the 30+ children, family members and teachers who attended, with the children's work displayed on the central hall's big screen.

The judges this year commented on the range of ideas and the passion so many young writers bought to the topic - "What I can do to help the environment' - noting that taking action also means taking responsibility for our purchasing choices, how we conserve energy and water and other precious resources, and how we dispose of our waste. A generation growing up with the concept of the circular economy. their submissions and responses in pre-award audience discussion indicated their awareness of the importance of our now complex multi coloured bin waste -recovery system. 2024 Prize Winners writing.pdf

The competition is open to all children in grades 5 & 6 enrolled in a primary school in greater Ballarat.

Of the 132 entries this year 22 received  prizes, with a prize for the school winner for every school that submits at least 5 entries as well as the overall Competition First Prize Winner and Special Mentions awarded by the judges for ideas and originality. The prizes are certificates and book vouchers. We thank Collin Booksellers on Lydiard for partnering with us this year. 

Overall First Prize Winner – Annabelle Stephens - Mt Pleasant Primary School

School Winners: L-R - Kobe Keem, Emily Hanrahan, Annabelle Stephens, Jessie Rizk and Alierah Vanderploeg with Juliana Addison MP, Member for Wendouree

Ballarat’s budding environmentalists

Little Bendigo Primary School

  • Alierah Vanderploeg - School Winner

  • Esther Bautista - Special Mention

  • Tom Mitchell - Special Mention

Mt Pleasant Primary School

  • Annabelle Stephens - School Winner

  • Miranda Rose Cook-Fordham - Special Mention

  • Evelyn Stephens - Special Mention

  • Archie Palmer- Special Mention

Newington Primary School

  • Kobe Keem - School Winner

  • Lexi Debono - Special Mention

  • Rory Dixon - Special Mention

Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School

  • Jessie Rizk - School Winner

  • Aashima Jmeel- Special Mention

  • Paddy Mulraney- Special Mention

St Francis Xavier Primary School

  • Emily Hanrahan - School Winner

  • Elizabeth Baruwa

  • Claudia Cochrane- Special Mention

  • Campbell Delahunty

  • Emma Locke

  • Harriet Locke

  • George Pearce - Special Mention

  • Lilly Rice