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Australia’s first astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, visits Boulder Primary School
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Australia’s first astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, made a special visit to Boulder Primary School as part of the Aussie of the Month program while on a regional tour of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia.
Katherine, who is the 2026 Australian of the Year, presented to students at the special assembly, during which she announced the Aussie of the Month and met with previous recipients from 2026 so far.
Following the assembly, Year 5 and 6 students were then given an opportunity to ask Katherine questions about astronaut training and the space environment during a Q&A. Katherine encouraged students to apply themselves and that it’s ok to not find all the answers.
Australia’s Local Heroes celebrate Harmony Week with primary schools
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For Harmony Week 2026, Aussie of the Month organised not one, but two Local Hero school visits, to help primary schools celebrate Australia’s diversity and multiculturalism.
On Wednesday 18 March, 2025 South Australia Local Heroes, Irfan and Sobia Hashmi, visited Concordia College, St Peters Campus in Adelaide, to share their story and impact on diversity and inclusion, transforming healthcare in remote and rural communities.
Then, on Friday 20 March, 2023 Australia’s Local Hero, Amar Singh, dropped in on Woonona East Public School in New South Wales, as the special guest speaker of the Harmony Day assembly. Amar shared his story as founder of Turbans 4 Australia, the charity that provides help and essentials to people in times of crisis, and emphasised the message of ‘Everyone Belongs’.
“We were so pleased to have Amar join us for our Harmony Day celebrations,” said Woonona East Public School Principal, Emily Corcoran. “His presence and message truly enriched the day. Amar helped our children understand the powerful theme of this year’s Harmony Day – Everyone Belongs. Through his words and engagement with our students, he reinforced the importance of inclusion, respect for diversity and celebrating the many cultures that make our community strong.”
As part of the visits, Irfan and Sobia, and Amar, announced the Aussie of the Month at the schools they visited. For Concordia College, Jimmy was announced as the school’s first ever recipient.
“We are proud to present the Aussie of the Month award at Concordia College – St Peters Campus, and thrilled Irfan and Sobia could join us for Harmony Week to announce the recipient,” says Principal, Alison Ronoastro. “Aussie of the Month is new for our school this year, so presenting the award with a visit from these Local Heroes makes it even more exciting and special for our students.”
Australian of the Year Local Hero in-person and virtual visits are exclusive to schools signed up to Aussie of the Month.
“Active citizenship is about getting involved in your local community and displaying values such as fair go, respect, inclusion and helping others,” says Jennelle Horsford, Regional Director, South Australia and Western Australia at the Department of Home Affairs.
“The Department of Home Affairs is proud to support both the Local Hero category in the Australian of the Year Awards and Aussie of the Month, which recognise and celebrate the positive impact of community participation and active citizenship.”
South Australia Local Heroes and migrant community leaders celebrate Harmony Week with Concordia College
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On Wednesday 18 March, Concordia College welcomed 2025 South Australia Local Heroes, Irfan and Sobia Hashmi to the St Peters Campus, to celebrate Harmony Week and help announce the school’s Aussie of the Month recipient.
As part of the school assembly, Irfan and Sobia shared their story and impact on diversity and inclusion, transforming healthcare in remote and rural communities in South Australia. Within their six pharmacies, their staff collectively speak 21 languages, allowing them to reach vulnerable populations and provide culturally sensitive healthcare.
“We are so happy to join Concordia College to help celebrate Harmony Week,” says Irfan. “As migrant community leaders, we are proud to support our multicultural communities and celebrate multiculturalism in Australia.”
“It is so important for young Australians to show the Aussie of the Month values of inclusion and fair go, and we are delighted to help recognise a student who does so in their school and community,” adds Sobia.
Aussie of the Month recognises and celebrates personal endeavour, achievement and contribution to community and reflects the values we share as Australians, such as a fair go, mateship, respect and inclusion.
“We are proud to present the Aussie of the Month award at Concordia College – St Peters Campus, and thrilled Irfan and Sobia could join us for Harmony Week to announce the recipient,” says Principal, Alison Ronoastro. “Aussie of the Month is new for our school this year, so presenting the award with a visit from these Local Heroes makes it even more exciting and special for our students.”
Primary schools can register for the Aussie of the Month program for free at any time during the year. Once registered, schools are provided with certificates, lapel pins and stationery gifts for monthly presentations within their school, and online guidelines and over-the-phone support on how to run the program in their school.
Schools can express their interest in a Local Hero in-person visit and gain access to a library of virtual visits that the schools can play when announcing their monthly recipient. These visits are exclusive to schools signed up to the Aussie of the Month program.
“Active citizenship is about getting involved in your local community and displaying values such as fair go, respect, inclusion and helping others,” says Jennelle Horsford, Regional Director, South Australia and Western Australia at the Department of Home Affairs.
“The Department of Home Affairs is proud to support both the Local Hero category in the Australian of the Year Awards and Aussie of the Month, which recognise and celebrate the positive impact of community participation and active citizenship.”
Australia’s Local Hero drops in on ACT school to announce Aussie of the Month
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2025 Australia’s Local Hero, Hannah Costello, visited Islamic School of Canberra before the end of Term 3, to inspire students and announce the school’s Aussie of the Month.
As special guest for the assembly, Hannah shared her story and the impact of Café Stepping Stone, a Canberra-based social enterprise that provides pathways and community for migrant and refugee women, co-founded with fellow Australia’s Local Hero, Vanessa Brettell. For supporting women with employment, training and a sense of belonging, Hannah and Vanessa were recognised in the Australian of the Year Awards.
Hannah addressed and engaged with students, before she announced student, Taseen, as Aussie of the Month, which was met with huge applause.
Also in attendance was Nicole Harman and Georgie Priddis from the National Australia Day Council, the organisation that presents the Australian of the Year Awards, and Naheed Hafiz, Community Liaison Officer at the Department of Home Affairs, Aussie of the Month program partner.
Australian of the Year Alumni school visits are made possible due to the affiliation between the Australian of the Year Awards and Aussie of the Month, and so are exclusive to Aussie of the Month schools. To sign up to program, click here.
2025 Tasmania Local Hero, Keren Franks, visits North West Support School to celebrate Aussies of the Month
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North West Support School in Tasmania received a special guest visit from 2025 Tasmania Local Hero, Keren Franks, on Friday 5 September, to celebrate students who show the Aussie of the Month values. During the morning, Keren, who is Founder and CEO of Young Leaders of Tasmania – a not-for-profit that fosters inclusion and acceptance for people living with a disability – visited both the Burnie Campus and Devonport Campus, to announce their respective Aussies of the Month.
Keren also spoke about how Young Leaders of Tasmania provides opportunities for young people through social role modelling and peer-to-peer interaction between students in support schools and mainstream schools.
The Local Hero visit to primary schools is made possible thanks to the affiliation between Aussie of the Month and the Australian of the Year Awards.
“It is an honour to join North West Support School to help recognise a student who positively contributes to their community,” said Keren. “I am incredibly passionate about encouraging inclusion and fair go among young Tasmanians, so to present an award to a student showing these values at a school that supports young people living with a disability is truly very special.”
Keren’s visit follows the launch of Young Leaders of Tasmania’s School Buddies program at North West Support School.
Aussie of the Month recognises and celebrates personal endeavour, achievement and contribution to community and reflects the values we share as Australians, such as a fair go, mateship, respect and inclusion.
“We are proud to present the Aussie of the Month award at North West Support School,” says Assistant Principal, Emma Lenarcic. “This award provides an opportunity for us to celebrate a student who positively contributes to our school community, showing important values such as mateship and inclusion.”
Schools can express their interest in a Local Hero in-person visit and gain access to a library of virtual visits that the schools can play when announcing their monthly recipient. Schools keen to take advantage of this initiative and hear from Australian of the Year Alumni need to sign up to the Aussie of the Month program at aussieofthemonth.org.au.
Aussie of the Month is delivered in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs and is supported by Pilot Pen Australia.
“Active citizenship is about getting involved in your local community and displaying values such as fair go, respect, inclusion and helping others,” says Melissa Kay, Regional Director Victoria and Tasmania at the Department of Home Affairs.
“The Department of Home Affairs is proud to support both the Local Hero category in the Australian of the Year Awards and Aussie of the Month, which recognise and celebrate the positive impact of community participation and active citizenship.”
Australia’s Local Heroes Vanessa Brettell & Hannah Costello Inspire Marrara Students to Lead with Kindness
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2025 Australia’s Local Heroes, Vanessa Brettell and Hannah Costello, travelled to the Northern Territory from the ACT in June to take part in a very special Tour of Honour, which included two Aussie of the Month school visits at Marrara Christian College and Henbury School.
As co-founders of Café Stepping Stone, a Canberra-based social enterprise that provides employment and training for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, Vanessa and Hannah shared their powerful story of building a business that puts compassion and inclusion at the centre.
During the school assembly at Marrara Christian College, they helped announce the school’s very first Aussie of the Month recipient for 2025, recognising the student’s compassion, leadership, and commitment to helping others. A proud moment for both the recipient and the school community, their contribution aligned beautifully with the Aussie of the Month values of fair go, mateship, respect and inclusion.
Staff at Marrara Christian College said Vanessa and Hannah’s visit left a lasting impression on students:
“Their message of kindness, resilience and compassion truly inspired our students to make a difference in their own communities.”
The visit to the Marrara Christian College was even more meaningful for Vanessa, who returned to the school she once attended as a primary student — a full-circle moment that brought personal significance to the day.
Joining the visit were Anna McDonald, CEO of the Northern Territory Australia Day Council, and Nikolay Nikolaev from the Australian Department of Home Affairs, both proud supporters of the Aussie of the Month program and its mission to celebrate active citizenship and inclusion in schools across Australia.
Local Hero school visits are an exclusive benefit for Aussie of the Month schools, made possible through the program’s close connection with the Australian of the Year Awards.
To start presenting AOTM in your school, sign up now.
