We are delighted to announce the winners of the national Celebrating Chinese Australians program that ran during terms 2 and 3 in 2023.
Celebrating Chinese Australians is a non-political, curriculum-aligned education program that aims to promote multiculturalism and unity. This program celebrates the contributions and achievements of the Chinese community in Australia – both past and present via a new, interactive challenge course in the Makers Empire 3D design app, a national competition with prizes for schools and students and accompanying learning resources for teachers and families.
Makers Empire partnered with the Chinese Museum and the History Trust of SA to deliver this program. Celebrating Chinese Australians was funded by The National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, a national platform working across government, business and community to promote mutual understanding and practical cooperation with China, and promote the contributions of Chinese-Australians to Australia.
Almost 12,000 students accessed the Celebrating Chinese Australians challenge course during the competition cycle. The course comprised a series of custom made videos, tutorials, quizzes and design challenges, with the last activity constituting the student’s entry into the national competition.
Notable Chinese-Australians featured in the in-app challenge course were: MasterChef Winner Adam Liaw; Senator The Hon. Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs; cookbook author and TV chef, Elizabeth Chong; pioneering heart surgeon, Victor Chang; fashion designer Jenny Kee; the first Chinese-Australian barrister, William Ah Ket; the first woman to incorporate a business in SA, Ms Gladys Sym Choon; and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and herbalist, Kwong Sue Duk.
Other Chinese-Australians profiled in the accompanying teacher and parent guides included: author Alice Pung AO; former Mayor of Adelaide Alfred Huang AM; tech entrepreneur and Young Australian of the Year winner, Marita Cheng; writer and illustrator, Shaun Tan; former SBS News presenter, Lee Lin Chin; mathematician and Fields medal winner, Terence Tao; and pioneering journalist Helene Chung.s
At the end of the competition cycle, the judges reviewed the competition entries and decided on the winners. Makers Empire, the Chinese Museum, the History Trust of SA and the National Foundation of Australia-China Relations are pleased to announce the following winners of Celebrating Chinese Australians:
Congratulations to our national winner and runner up!. You have won a prize pack including a $100 gift card, your winning 3D design displayed in a physical exhibition in Adelaide in February 2024, a Makers Empire trophy, a 3D print of your winning 3D design posted to you after the exhibition, in-app Makers Empire tokens, Makers Empire swag and Makers Empire posters and stickers.
You have also won Makers Empire package worth $3,500 for your respective schools including:
Congratulations to all our state winners. You have won a prize pack including a $100 gift card, your winning 3D design displayed in a physical exhibition in Adelaide in February 2024, aa Makers Empire trophy, a 3D print of your winning 3D design posted to you after the exhibition, in-app Makers Empire tokens, Makers Empire swag, posters and stickers.
You have also won Makers Empire package worth $3,500 for your respective schools including:
Congratulations to all our state runner ups! You have won a prize pack including a Makers Empire trophy, in-app Makers Empire tokens, Makers Empire swag and Makers Empire posters and stickers.
Congratulations to the above schools. You have won a Makers Empire package worth $3,500 comprising:
Mandi is an award-winning educator who works with schools to help teachers develop Design Thinking, embrace maker pedagogy and cover D&T curriculum. She is an international specialist on Design Thinking and the use of 3D technology in education and has led rollouts of 3D technology to groups of 200+ schools in Australia, the USA and the UAE.
Mark is a fifth-generation Chinese Australian and a co-founder of the Museum of Chinese Australian History in Victoria. He has a degree in visual arts.
Michelle is an experienced educator who has taught in many school settings, both across Australia and internationally, spending six years as an assistant principal in NSW. She has worked as a primary school librarian, taught classes of high potential and gifted students, and delivered DT lessons across all primary grades.
Latitia Chow has spent the past 10 + years as an project manager and marketer working across education, government, consulting and FMCG sectors in Australia, China, and Hong Kong. Her mission is to facilitate the exchange and build people-to-people connections in the Australia-China space.
Helen Horsington, Acting CEO of NFACR said, “Congratulations to all the schools and students who participated in the Celebrating Chinese Australians competition. The Foundation is pleased to support this project which teaches primary school children about the history and contributions of Chinese Australians to our society. From William Ah Ket, the first Chinese-Australian barrister who fought against the White Australia policy, to Dr Victor Chang AC, the pioneering heart surgeon, Chinese-Australians have made longstanding contributions to Australian society. The designs produced as part of the competition show creativity and skill inspired by the challenge theme.”
Mandi Dimitriadis, Director of Learning at Makers Empire said, “it has been heartwarming to receive so many wonderful designs that show how compassionate our young people are and how much they value living in such a multicultural and culturally rich country as Australia.”
Mark Wang, CEO of the Chinese Museum said, “there were entries that excelled visually in design and those who delved more deeply into history. Nevertheless, there was an overarching positivity and compassion for the coming together of people towards a multicultural society. Great work by all who participated!”
Congratulations to all of the above students and their respective schools!
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