Public Education Week 2024 toolkit
The Public Education Week 2024 toolkit provides resources and ideas to help you celebrate this year’s theme: ‘Proud to belong’.
This toolkit aims to help schools and community share the messages of Public Education Week 2024 (5–9 August). We encourage you to promote your own events and activities during the week-long celebration, as well as the resources provided in the toolkit.
Communicating Public Education Week
In 2024, we are celebrating what makes us proud to belong to public education in NSW.
Public Education Week is a great time to celebrate your achievements and success with your students, school staff and the wider community. Use your school website, newsletter, social media pages and other channels available to spread the word and build excitement about Public Education Week 2024 and what it means to your community.
Key messages
You can use the following messages when communicating to your community about Public Education Week 2024.
Learn more about our shared achievements and the excellence of public education as we celebrate our NSW public schools.
This year’s theme is: Proud to belong. Public Education Week is a time for all of us to feel "proud to belong", sharing our pride in being part of NSW public education and the achievements of our students and staff.
Public Education Week is when we celebrate and acknowledge all those who contribute to our children and young people’s educational journey. School staff, parents and carers, community leaders and P&C associations all play an important role in our students' education.
Public Education Week 2024 logos and downloads
Download and share our official Public Education Week 2024 resources to your own communication channels such as Facebook, Instagram, school newsletters, digital signage, posters and websites.
The following downloads include generic designs for ease of use, as well as links to editable templates in Canva that will enable you to create your own designs and personalise the message for your school, organisation or event.
Logos and social media tiles
Edit designs in Canva
Canva is an online design and publishing tool that makes it easy to create visual content.
You can add your own images to the designs to personalise them for your school. Simply upload your images into Canva and drag and drop them to replace the sample image. The text can also be replaced with details of an event or Public Education Week message specific to your school.
Create Public Education Week Awards using the certificate template. Enter recipient details or use the bulk create function to create multiple certificates.
New to Canva?
Staff can access your Canva for Education account by signing in using your @det.nsw.edu.au email address.
Learn more about using Canva for Education on the Technology 4 Learning webpage and follow the design tips on the Canva Design school tutorial page.
Design hints and tips
You may want to consider using artwork from a student or artist associated with your school community.
Changing your Microsoft Teams virtual meeting background is a fun way to show your support during Public Education Week. Simply follow these steps to change your Teams background.
Social media
Show your parents, carers and local community how your school is celebrating Public Education Week. It’s a great opportunity to share why your students and families are proud to belong. Use the hashtag #PublicEdWeek24 and #ProudToBelong in all your social media posts, share our videos or create and share your own photos and videos.
Social media video stories will be made available closer to Public Education Week to share on your own social media channels.
Don’t forget to follow the tips in the department’s staff social media toolkit (staff only) and ensure parental permission is in place for any students you feature on social media.
These links and suggested captions below can be used on your school's Facebook accounts.
| Webpage link | Suggested caption |
|---|---|
| About Public Education Week | Public Education Week 2024 celebrates this year’s theme, ‘Proud to belong’. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our school staff and families who belong to our school community. #ProudToBelong #PublicEdWeek24 |
| Public Education Week | Join us in celebrating [insert school name] and our achievements during Public Education Week. Let’s share our pride in our public schools. #ProudToBelong #PublicEdWeek24 |
Curriculum resources
Take your Public Education Week celebrations into the classroom!
There are a range of curriculum resources that relate to this year’s theme,“Proud to belong”. Teachers can consider using these as classroom activities during Public Education Week to help engage and connect with this year’s theme.
For resource links, refer to curriculum resources.
Public Education Week 2024 launch
Create a date in your school’s calendar to launch Public Education Week 2024 in your school community! Get together as part of a school assembly, in classrooms or online.
We have supplied schools a series of videos to choose from, including Q &A sessions with students, the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car and Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar in discussion around the theme of ‘Proud to belong’. There are also video stories from across our NSW schools to help kick off your Public Education Week celebrations.
Principals, teachers or students can start the launch with an Acknowledgment of Country and introduce the videos.
The videos will be made available in Term 3, Week 2 to help launch your event.
Acknowledgment of Country for Public Education Week
When commencing your Public Education Week activities, we recommend reflecting on the theme of ‘Proud to belong’ in your Acknowledgement of Country. Take a moment to reflect on how your school supports Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students to feel proud to belong in an environment where their culture is valued and celebrated, and where there is opportunity for improvement. You may wish to involve students in writing an Acknowledgement of Country or use our template as a guide.
As we gather to celebrate NSW Public Education Week 2024, we begin by paying respect to the Ongoing Custodians of the lands on which our school stands, the homelands of the [insert name] people. We pay respect to Elders past and present as ongoing teachers of knowledge, songlines and stories. We honour their enduring connection to this land and their rich cultural history.
In celebrating this year’s theme ‘Proud to belong’, we recognise the contributions and achievements of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people across our public schools and the broader community. Let us reaffirm our dedication to nurturing a learning environment that honours Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Let us walk together on this journey of understanding and respect, fostering a sense of pride and belonging for every student, and building a brighter, more inclusive future for all.
- Welcome to Country and Acknowledgment of Country: Begin each event with a Welcome to Country by a local Elder or an Acknowledgment of Country by a school representative.
- Invite local Elders, community members to address a school assembly; work with teachers in co-delivering lessons (reading Aboriginal stories; demonstrating various cultural practices/activities).
- Cultural performances: Invite Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander performers to showcase music, singing, dance and storytelling.
- Art and displays: Create displays featuring Aboriginal artwork or designs and encourage students to create their own art inspired by Aboriginal stories and song. Add these via Canva to your Public Education Week poster or promotional documents.
Host an event or activity
Plan an event or activity at your school, early childhood education and care provider or workplace during Public Education Week and invite your local community to join.
If you’re planning an event that is open to the public, be sure to share event posters in local shops, on community bulletin boards and local libraries to increase visibility and awareness.
You can also approach local sporting groups, volunteer organisations and charity groups to help spread the word about Public Education Week and what your school is doing to celebrate.
Use our media release template (staff only) to help promote your Public Education Week events through local media.
Public Education Week is officially held during Term 3, Week 3 (5–9 August). There is flexibility for schools and communities to celebrate the week before or after these official dates.
Event toolkit
View the 'Event in a box' guidelines (staff only) to help you plan a Public Education Week event. These guidelines include a range of resources and templates to simplify organising a successful school event.
Event and activity ideas for schools
Create a Public Education Week launch event early in the week at a time that suits your school community. Use our Public Education week videos to launch your event. The videos will be available on demand in Term 3, Week 2.
During Public Education Week showcase the talent and achievements of your school community. Include academic achievements, artistic displays and performances by student groups. Invite parents and community leaders to see the incredible talent in public schools.
Host an alumni event and invite former students to share their success stories, highlighting the impact of public education on their careers and the skills and values instilled by your school and staff. This is an opportunity to celebrate former students’ successes, as well as those who are still connected to your school – perhaps through volunteering, mentoring students or advocacy. Celebrate and shout out these community connections that support your school.
Share stories from your school’s alumni on your website or social media to connect with your broader community. Use our customisable social media tile on Canva to showcase your alumni (always check with them for permission first) and remember to add the hashtags #PublicEdWeek24 and #ProudToBelong.
Create a visual art display, exhibition or showcase of student work for the school community to view.
Open Days/Nights: Organise an Open Day event where current and prospective parents, students, and community members can come together and hear about your school’s programs and activities, meet the principal and teachers, and undertake a tour. Encourage teachers and students to showcase success stories and engaging interactive demonstrations.
View the school open event planning (staff only) for resources to assist your event planning and proceedings.
Event ideas for education support staff and corporate office locations
Create your own Public Education Week launch event and gather in the office or online to watch the Public Education Week video content together.
Host a morning tea, lunch or afternoon tea in the office and share stories within your team of your education journeys.
Let your teams know of any recent positive experiences you have had in schools that make you feel “Proud to belong”.
If any of your team has participated in the School Experience Program (staff only), ask them to share stories from their experience with the rest of the team.
Tell us what you're planning
We’re on the lookout for exciting events, celebrations or activities held in schools and communities across the state during Public Education Week.
We will share this information with the department’s media and social media teams and they will look at every opportunity to highlight and share with our communities.
If you have a special event organised this year, fill out the online form with the details to let us know!