The Award for Innovation showcases organisations within ELICOS that demonstrate original and creative problem solving in response to challenges faced. It is designed to celebrate new ideas and innovative approaches to any aspect of ELICOS delivery.
The Award recognises that there are two key elements underpinning innovation: individuals and/or teams that develop initiatives to address challenges in ELICOS, and organisations that have a culture of support for these initiatives.
Watch what the 2023 winner of the Innovation Award has to say about the Award below.
Innovation is the action required to create new ideas, processes or products which when implemented, lead to positive change. Innovation creates new value for your language centre.
Innovation does not have to be the ‘next big idea’. It can start small. It could be using new offerings, new business models, new services. The key is: does your innovation make a positive difference?
Ideas for innovation often come from your students. There may be issues that need to be solved to make their experience more interesting or enjoyable.
Innovation can be a product, a service or an approach that addresses an identified student need or improves the student experience. Examples are:
Watch webinar: “Innovation Conversation” – a conversation with Katherine Olston, Centre for English Teaching, the University of Sydney, winners of the 2017 Innovation Award.
The winner receives:
The winning organisation is able to demonstrate an innovative approach they have taken to addressing a specific need /issue or to demonstrate how they have taken the lead in developing innovative products and / or services that will improve the student experience and keep their organisation at the forefront of ELICOS delivery.
Submissions should include a description of the nature of the innovation and give a rationale for the new approach and an account of how it was piloted and put into practice, together with the results of the innovation and the added value in comparison with previous practice.
Products and services in the following areas are eligible to be considered:
Submissions should demonstrate to the judging panel how the approach/product/service nominated meets the following criteria:
The winner of the 2025 Award for Innovation is English Australia member college Discover English, represented by Tristan Quigley for the Daborra-ma program.
Daborra-ma is a pioneering initiative integrating Indigenous cultural education and Australian sport into ELICOS programming. Developed in collaboration with the Fitzroy Stars Football and Netball Clubs, and supported by a Study Melbourne Inclusion Grant, the program responds to international students’ challenges around cultural understanding and social belonging. Daborra-ma is structured around three immersive components: live storytelling with a First Nations speaker, AFL clinics with Fitzroy Stars players, and cultural exchange sessions. By combining sport, culture, and language immersion, the program represents a radical departure from traditional ELICOS curricula. It creates meaningful bridges between international students and Indigenous Australian culture, while making AFL accessible and engaging.
This year, we also have a highly commended for the Innovation Award. The highly commended is awarded to ILSC, represented by Kourosh Langarizadeh, for their English through AI course.
English Through AI is a CEFR-aligned, project-based language course that equips ELICOS learners with the linguistic, cognitive, and digital skills needed to thrive in an AI -driven world. The course integrates task-based, team-based, and inquiry-based learning to promote autonomy, critical thinking and collaboration.
Rather than treating AI as a supplementary tool, English through AI embeds AI meaningfully into the learning process. Learners engage with real-world themes and structured, team-based projects using AI tools. The course was piloted in 2024 and 2025 at ILSC Melbourne and Sydney campuses, is now delivered as across ILSC Australia.
