Educators do make a difference and a landmark event celebrating educational excellence showed just how significant their impact is across South Australia. The gala evening acknowledged the outstanding work of educators from all sectors as 70 awardees were honoured at the annual World Teachers’ Day Awards Night at the Adelaide Oval.

The sheer scale of recognition was unprecedented, with the night featuring more award categories than ever before. A highlight of the event was the distribution of more than $120 000 in award grants, which will allow educators across the state to continue their research into learning and teaching practices that best support all learners to reach their potential.

Lisa-Jane O’Connor, president of Educators SA, hosts of the event, said the night was a celebration of those who “make a difference to the lives of our youngest generation”.

“You inspire minds, spark curiosity and engage the passions of our learners,” she said.

The ceremony brought together the state’s most distinguished figures in education and government, including Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, and Mr Rod Bunten, Joint Patrons.

They were joined by the Minister for Education, Training and Skills, and Minister for Police, the Hon Blair Boyer; the Shadow Minister for Education, the Hon Heidi Girolamo; and leaders from public education, the SACE Board, the Teachers Registration Board, and Independent and Catholic sectors.

Representatives from other major educator associations and unions, as well as education business partners such as Credit Union SA, Compass, Calm Wealth, and Officeworks, were also in attendance.

Minister Boyer presented the awards throughout the night, underscoring the government’s recognition of the awardees’ endeavours and demonstrating his personal enthusiasm and gratitude for the incredible work educators do every day.

The evening opened with 45 representatives recognised for their outstanding contributions to the profession. History Teacher of the Year, Early Career Primary Principal of the Year, Wellbeing Leader of the Year, Spanish Teacher of the Year and Outstanding Lifetime Contribution were just some of the awards that highlighted the diversity of the contributions educators make to the learning lives of children and young people across the state.

This was followed by the presentation of the prestigious Minister’s Awards. As part of the proceedings, previous recipients shared the powerful impact these awards have had on their professional lives and the lives of their learners. The 2026 awardees now look forward to beginning their own journey, eager to make a lasting impact on teaching and learning across the state. Jazmin Nardelli and Bianca Drum (Maryattville HS) were the proud joint winners of the inaugural Minister’s Excellence in Financial Education Award.

The Language Immersion Scholarships were presented to Melissa Watt (Warradale PS). Caitlin Heinjus (Parafield Gardens PS), Shontelle Stanyer (St Ignatius’ College), Leah Wardle (St John’s Grammar School), and Jack Manning (Westminster School).

The proud winners of the Minister’s Arts Education Awards were Kylie Pech (Port Pirie West PS), Suriya Down (Aberfoyle Park HS), Marianna Mastrapasqua (Cardijn College), and Kristen Mallia (Mark Oliphant College). Riverbanks College Preschool and Glencoe and District Kindergarten were the recipients of the Preschool Arts Awards.

Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Outstanding Graduates of the Year to their education community. These graduates represent the future of learning in South Australia and, at a time when teacher recruitment and retention remain major challenges, celebrating and supporting them has never been more important. Allysa Verbart and Rhys Morgan jointly won the Outstanding Graduates of the Adelaide University Award. Other winners included Ellyn Read (Outstanding Graduate of the University of South Australia), Mary Forbes (Flinders University Award), and April Mears (Tabor College Outstanding Graduate).

The evening culminated with the presentation of the State Awards to outstanding educators from professional learning associations. The Credit Union SA Early Career Educator of the Year Award was presented to Kiara Schonberger (Business and Enterprise Teachers’ Association of SA). The Calm Wealth Outstanding Contributor to the Educator Profession was received by Alison I’Amafana (Australian Association of Teachers of the Deaf). The Officeworks Innovative Educator of the Year Award went to Emma Fowler (EdTechSA), while the TRB Early Career Mentor of the Year Award was awarded to the HaSS Association of Australia. Maria Bilske (Visual Arts Educators of SA) was honoured with the World Education Forum Outstanding Contribution to Intercultural and Global Understandings Award and the Educators SA Innovative Association of the Year Award was presented to the Home Economics Institute of Australia (SA).

Carolyn Grantskalns, Presiding Member, Teachers Registration Board, brought the evening to a rousing close with her “Toast to the Profession”. The night was an outstanding tribute to the influence and impact the educators of SA have on the future of our State.

See all winners and photos here!