The winners of the 2009 Enhance TV ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media) Awards were announced last Friday, 23 October at a gala function in the Plaza Ballroom of Melbourne's Regent Theatre.

This year Ryebuck Media was again successful, collecting three of the prestigious awards for Exploring Civics and Citizenship Through a Visit to the National Capital Canberra. This resource was produced for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and won Best Educational Multimodal Production, Best Primary Education Resource and Best Secondary Education Resource.

We are immensely proud of this success and wish to acknowledge the contribution of Esther Robinson and her colleagues at DEEWR, and thank them for giving us the opportunity to develop this exciting educational resource.

We would also like to especially pay tribute to the work of Robert Lewis, our principal curriculum writer, who continues to come up with innovative and exciting educational activities that achieve valuable learning outcomes.

We would also like to congratulate all worthy finalists and winners in the many categories that make up this national awards program which has no peer and in 2009 celebrates its 27th anniversary.

Thank you ATOM and Enhance TV for staging the awards.

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The 2009 series of the DEFENCE 2020 - Are Australia's Peacekeepers responsible Citizens? - concluded with the National Youth Challenge in Canberra on 16th September 2009. Twenty-three students (national winners of the Participation Task competition) spent two days in Canberra visiting the Australian Federal Police training village, the Australian War Memorial, the Peacekeepers Memorial site on Anzac Parade, Squadron 34 to view the Prime Minister's jet and the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA).

At the National Challenge which was held at ADFA, the students showcased their winning entries, role-played a peacekeeping scenario, presented a video of their experiences in Canberra and were addressed by the Hon Greg Combet MP, Minister for Defence Personnel, Materials and Science and Lieutenant General David Hurley, Vice Chief of the Defence Force.

The National Challenge was a fantastic conclusion to an exciting program that educated young people about defence issues and encouraged them to think about what sort of Defence Force they would like Australia to have in the future.

Defence 2020 will be back in 2010 with a new theme, new resources and a national program that will be rolled out in all states and territories between May and July. Watch this space for details and log onto www.defence2020.info for updates, reports and curriculum resources for History, SOSE, English. Legal Studies and Geography.

The team at Ryebuck Media wish to sincerely thank all of the teachers, students and ADF personnel who have supported Defence 2020 in 2009. Special thanks to Group Captain Ken Given who continues to be an enthusiastic and dedicated project manager.

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On Thursday 3 September 2009 the NOTHING BEATS THE REAL THING! Youth Challenge on film/DVD piracy was held in Sydney.

70 students from 8 NSW schools worked through a program that challenged and entertained them - asking them to come to an understanding about the implications of film piracy for the sort of society they want to create. While most students (and teachers!) had at some time been 'pirates' themselves, they realised that there were considerable implications to their actions, and all agreed that it was a fair and proper civics and citizenship strategy to 'just say NO.'

Surprise guest industry presenters were Michael Selwyn, MD Paramount Pictures Australia, and Katrina Risteska, singer dancer and actress.

Visit the Copyright or Copywrong website for more information.

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