Ed Goodwin Award
The BSME Ed Goodwin Award for Exceptional Service
The BSME Ed Goodwin Award for Exceptional Service is an annual award recognising the exceptional contribution of students in BSME schools to their local or global community.
Rationale:
Throughout the school year, many students in BSME schools devote their time and resources to service. This service takes on many forms: from fundraising to feeding those in need in their local or distant communities, to supporting research which will improves the lives of others. Some students might give up their time to support the learning of students less fortunate than themselves; use their musical talents to teach others, or to bring joy to the elderly or infirm; or help to build educational facilities around the world. The underlying principle is clear: these students are committed to serving others.
Mr Ed Goodwin OBE, BSME Chair for 12 years (2005 – 2017), is committed to Service. To ensure that this commitment to Service is honoured and continued, BSME has instituted The BSME Ed Goodwin Award for Exceptional Service, which will recognise these students’ dedication to their local and global communities on an annual basis.
To nominate a student at your school for the Ed Goodwin Award 2025, please click here.
Nomination & Award Process:
a. Eligibility:
Any student registered with a BSME School may be nominated for The BSME Ed Goodwin Award for Exceptional Service. Each BSME school may nominate one student.
Students may only be nominated for a cause or project undertaken in the current or preceding academic year, i.e. more or less 4 school terms.
Students nominated for this award will have consistently demonstrated qualities of compassion, caring and even entrepreneurship, and have made extraordinary contributions to enrich the life of others within their school or global community. They will have demonstrated that they care for the world and its peoples beyond their own direct experience. They will have documented, exceptional service to either one cause, project or organisation, or a variety of voluntary service activities within one year.
Whilst the age of the student is not relevant, the level of service relative to the student’s age will be considered.
b. Judging Process:
The BSME Ed Goodwin Award for Exceptional Service will be awarded to one student in each country represented by BSME. Nominations will be judged by Country Representatives. Country Representatives will inform the BSME CEO of their country winner; one overall winner will be selected by the BSME Chair.
c. Judging Criteria:
Country Representatives, supported by two Principal colleagues, will select the country winners based on the following criteria:
- The degree to which their service or actions have made a lasting or meaningful contribution or impact, as measured by concrete resources or a desirable outcome for one or more people or a community as a whole.
- On some occasions, where the outcome has not been as successful as hoped, the cause selected by the student is judged to be extremely worthwhile and shows that he or she demonstrated and acted upon a concern for the world or its people beyond his or her direct experience.
- The length and level of commitment of their service(s), i.e. the extent to which their service or action might be considered above and beyond the call of duty
- The extent to which their action would be recognised and valued by their peers and/or community leaders
Please provide a statement in support of your student’s nomination. (If your student is awarded the Ed Goodwin Award, this text will be used in promotional materials.) Please include the following details:
- Name of Service or Community Project
- Aims of the Project
- Length and level of service by the student, i.e. the type of activities engaged in by the student
- Impact of the student’s work as measured by concrete resources or a desirable outcome for one or more people or a community as a whole
- The extent to which their action would be or has been recognised and valued by their peers and/or community leaders
Presentation:
The awards, for the country winners and the overall winner, will be made at the Annual Headteachers' Conference each year. Headteachers will receive these awards on behalf of students and present them upon their return to their schools.