The Aspires

Celebrating the Positive, Brave, Thoughtful, and Professional
Announcing, The Aspires! The Aspires are awards for you, about you, and by you. They recognise and celebrate your
achievements across every role. They empower you to continue to aspire to be amazing Teams and Team Members.
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Need To Know
Enter now!
Nominations close 13 May
Nominate yourself, your Team, or another person or Team!
ENTER HERE
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Categories: Star
Team Of The Year
This is the team that exemplifies our guiding principles and mindsets. They warmly welcome every person into their centre and you can see and feel the trusting relationships, the communication, the team work, inspiring environments, innovative thinking and a strong quality culture in everything they do. This team values each other as individuals and the impact they make together. They encourage and appreciate collaboration as a way of valuing diverse thinking and continuous improvement. This is the team that focusses on what is possible and makes you, their children, families and community proud, enabling everyone to be their best.
Aspiring Mate Of The Year
This award will celebrate a person that has been your greatest ally and team player. The Aspiring Mate represents our mindsets and has been an incredible support through the ‘ups and downs’. This is the person you look to because they are honest, trustworthy, dependable, professional and bring the fun and laughter when you need it most!
Innovation Award Of The Year
This award will showcase a person that has introduced a new initiative and has an innovative approach to problem solving. They have made a real impact in your centre, local community or across Guardian. This person has a curious, creative, motivated, positive and persistent mindset. These traits lead to improvement and a desire to take risks knowing there is benefit to others.
Aspire Star Of The Year
This award recognises a person that embodies our ‘Aspire to be’ mindsets. Being professional, positive, thoughtful and brave is who they are, and this is brought to life everyday, when they think, feel and behave.
Support Office Star Of The Year
We are in search of a Support Office Team Member who always prioritises and values our centre teams. They understand the importance our centres play in a child and families life and because of this always go above and beyond to ensure our centre teams have everything they need to be their best.
Categories: People
The Aspires People category recognises excellence in each role in our Centres, the people who make Guardian a great place for all of us.
Educator Of The Year
We are in search of an educator that has significantly advanced the quality of children’s learning and development and is the greatest example of professionalism, positivity, bravery and thoughtfulness. This educator is a connector of children, teams, family and community, and because of this they are known and respected in and outside their centre. You go above and beyond and others look to, learn from and are inspired by you. Your centre wouldn’t be the same without you!
Teacher Of The Year
This award celebrates our qualified Teachers who demonstrate strong skills in Teaching, children’s learning and development, partnerships with families and connecting with communities to support children and families. You are a Teacher who thinks beyond your room and your centre by creating opportunities and connections within your community. This might be with a local school, a nearby centre, an allied health professional or a professional network. You contribute to our Teachers network, are a leader and mentor of people and teams and you have a passion to share, learn and improve. You are an advocate of our teaching profession and an inspiration.
Educational Leader Of The Year
This award will recognise an Educational Leader who plays a significant role leading, guiding and developing Quality and Curriculum initiatives in partnership with their team. You are a motivator and innovator and because of this you contribute to key centre decisions. This impact extends beyond your centre and you may have influenced or contributed to a Guardian initiative, supported a colleague or team, demonstrated great practice or contributed to our Educational Leader network through our Educational Leader Meetings / Workplace or an external professional network. You exude passion and pride and your leadership is felt, seen and heard.
Student Of The Year
The student of the year award will go to a team member who is currently studying or recently completed their Cert 3, Diploma or Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching degree. This award celebrates a team member who demonstrates the behaviours of an exceptional learner who has shown this in practice, their academic results and commitment to their studies. This team member has made a positive impact on their own professional development and that of their team and their future is bright!
Cook/Chef Of The Year
This award will showcase a talented Chef/Cook who is passionate about supporting the health and nutrition of their children by creating tasty, safe and balanced menus that minimise waste, best utilise their budget, reflect their local community and most of all meet the taste buds of our children! This Cook/Chef is a leader, an educator, communicator and innovator who promotes great food and nutrition ideas within their centre, for families at home, on a tour or as they pass by the kitchen at drop off or pick up! Your kitchen is the heart of your centre.
Assistant Centre Manager Of The Year
This award will recognise an Assistant Centre Manager who exemplifies the skills and dispositions of an aspiring Centre Manager. You have strong leadership skills and are important member of the Centre Leadership Team alongside the Centre Manager and Educational Leader. You are equally confident and respected whether it be role modelling high quality practices or taking the responsibilities of leading your centre. You are a listener, collaborator, problem solver, learner and empowerer of those around you and because of this you have strong trusted relationships with teams, families, children, and the community.
Centre Manager Of The Year
The award recognises a Centre Manager who advocates and embodies our mindsets – positivity, bravery, thoughtfulness and professionalism. Your leadership skills have supported an incredible team culture where children, families, teams and community have a strong sense of belonging. You recognise the strengths of others and this has led to a high preforming team that maintains high quality practice, awesome team, and family experience, a safety first culture, and strong business discipline. You are a mentor to aspiring leaders, and a networker and influencer in and outside your centre.
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We’ll have more categories to announce at a later date so keep an eye out for more exciting developments in the weeks to come!
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Nominations
Share your story!
To nominate a person or Team
You can nominate yourself, your Team or another person or Team.
Each nomination must be endorsed by someone from your Centre Leadership Team.
Your nomination is a story that captures how your nominated person or Team embodies our guiding principles and mindsets.
To nominate:
ENTER HERE
Fill out the details, including a written submission (up to 300 words) or a short video (less than 3 minutes) with your nomination story.
Please try to keep your submissions as short and to the point as possible!
Have a Centre Leadership Team Member endorse your nomination and hit submit.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the awards you must:
Be a permanent or part-time Team Member at the time of nomination.
Be working in the category of nomination.
Prizes
Winners will receive…
- A Trophy
- $500 cash gift voucher to spend as you wish
- Ticket to attend a national conference of your choice
- A mentoring session with a colleague of your choice. It could be a Senior Leadership Team Member; even the CEO!
- Time to visit a Centre within your own state (or neighbouring state for SA, ACT winners) to spend time with a colleague to connect, watch and learn from them.
- Attend an experience day where all state winners come together to be celebrated and connect. Details will be revealed at a later date.
Runners-up will receive…
- A Commemorative Plaque
- $250 cash gift voucher to spend as you wish
- A mentoring session with a colleague of your choice, including the Senior Leadership Team
- Time to visit a Centre within your own state (or neighbouring state for SA, ACT winners) to spend time with a colleague to connect, watch and learn from them.