Educator & Teacher Category

Nominations are open 1 March-31 May 2026.

Know an educator with a passion for STEM education?

The Little Scientists Early STEM Education Awards celebrate Outstanding Early STEM Champions — educators who go above and beyond to lay the foundations for a love of STEM in young children. We need your help to find them!

The nominated educator must:

Work with children aged 0–8 years.
Champion early STEM education in their setting.
Be at any career stage and hold any qualification within the Early Childhood Education or Out of School Hours Care sector.
Be nominated by someone with first-hand insight into how they foster and champion STEM in their setting.
Have given their consent to be nominated for this public award.

What makes an early STEM champion?

There's no one way to be an early STEM champion. Educators often champion STEM in their own unique way — whether by advocating for STEM as a priority within their setting, nurturing a culture of ongoing STEM professional learning in their team, creating meaningful opportunities for children to identify as capable STEM learners, or empowering parents to become active participants in their children's early STEM journeys. Just to name a few!

Save & Edit Later
This form allows you to save a draft and return to it later. To do that, click "Save Nomination" at the bottom of this page, then click "Skip Create an Account" at the bottom of the form, and then enter your email address to have a draft link emailed to you. This is entirely managed by JotForm (not Little Scientists) so to be safe, we'd recommend drafting and finalising your responses in a word doc before submitting via this form.

Thank you for taking the time to recognise a deserving educator 💚 For any questions, please email awards@littlescientists.org.au or call (02) 8080 0065.

Section 1. About you

Your full name*

First NameLast Name

Your current title, e.g. educator, teacher, educational leader, director, etc.*

Your location*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Your best email address*

Please double check this for typos.

Your best phone number*

Please include the area code if a landline.

Your current service, school, or workplace*

Your relationship to the nominee? E.g. manager or colleague.*

How long have you worked with the nominee? *

0-1 year1-3 years3-5 years5+ years

Has the nominee consented to you nominating them in this public award? *

YesNoI have not asked them yet, but intend to do so.

Section 2. Information About the Nominee

Nominee's full name*

First NameLast Name

Nominee's location*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code

Nominee's best email address*

Please double check this is correct.

Nominee's best phone number (please double check this)*

Please double check this is correct and include the area code if a landline.

Nominee’s current job title or role (or last known) *

Nominee’s current service, school, or workplace (or last known)*

Section 3. Why You're Nominating This Educator

The two questions below form the official nomination and will be used to determine the award winners. Please read each question carefully.

If English is your second language, please don’t worry — your writing style isn't being assessed. Your nomination will be judged on the richness and substance of the information provided about the nominee and their work, so please provide clear and detailed responses.

Question 1. Please share ONE specific example that demonstrates this educator's commitment to and passion for early STEM education. Describe the context, the educator's role, the actions they took, and the impact of their effort. The example you choose could illustrate how this educator has promoted, fostered, or implemented high-quality inquiry-based STEM education with children, families, wider community, or within your team. Please focus on ONE meaningful example only, additional examples will not be considered. (450 words max)*

(Optional) You may also attach documentation to support this example. Please collate these into one file only and title the file "[Nominee's full name].

Question 2. Describe the positive impact this educator has had on their setting or team’s approach, passion, or commitment to STEM education. Your response should highlight the broader, lasting effects of this educator's contributions and can reference multiple examples. For example, this educator may help maintain STEM as a priority within your setting or foster a culture of continuous STEM professional learning among your team. Their efforts could range from large, visible changes to more subtle or cultural shifts that contribute to the team's STEM spirit and motivation. If possible, refer to other examples not already shared in Question 1. (350 words max) *

Outstanding Early STEM Champion Award

Section 1. About you

Section 2. Information About the Nominee

Section 3. Why You're Nominating This Educator