Year 6 Oxley College student Valentine Meyerson is in the running for a Fred Hollows Foundation Humanity Award after turning personal tragedy into positive action.
Deeply affected by the Bondi shootings last December, which claimed the lives of close family friends, and 10-year-old Matilda Bee Britvan, Valentine founded Peace Hive, an inspiring initiative that has become an extraordinary force for good in her community.
Launched in 2012, the Humanity Awards have celebrated more than 3,000 compassionate Year 6 students from across the nation.
Following the harrowing event in Bondi, Valentine began making “Bee” bracelets to raise funds for Matilda’s family with the goal of getting them to Disneyland, and to get as many “bees on wrists” as a symbol of peace, kindness, remembrance and unity.
What started as a small act of compassion quickly grew into a global movement, raising more than $75,000, mobilising hundreds of volunteers and hand making over 5,000 bracelets.
Valentine has also developed the Peace Hive Wellbeing & Character Development Framework, a free program designed to help schools foster kindness, inclusion, empathy, service and ethical leadership through repeated, micro-learning practices.
The framework helps embed these values within school communities and beyond the school gates.
She is committed to keeping the program free because she firmly believes that civic values should never depend on a school’s budget. Her inspiring response to tragedy is creating lasting, positive change in communities nationwide.
Award recipients will be recognised at a ceremony on Wednesday, November 11.
