Congratulations to Zakariya Barzak who was presented with the SVA (Student Volunteer Army) Pounamu Award at assembly recently.

The SVA Service Award is a nationally recognised framework that acknowledges the formal volunteering efforts of secondary school students. Through a five-level badge system, it celebrates the diverse acts of service students perform within their community, whānau, or school. Students log their hours in the SVA and build a Summary of Service to support scholarships, leadership opportunities, tertiary education, or employment applications.

Since its inception in 2019, the SVA Service Award has seen tens of thousands of students sign up and log over two million hours of volunteering. In 2024 Zakariya received an SVA Pounamu Award, a special recognition of his commitment to volunteering and outstanding contributions in 2024 that have made a significant impact.

To find out more about the SVA Service Award and to sign up - https://volunteer.sva.org.nz/