The Janene Swalwell Memorial Award aims to promote and advance the field of Educational & Developmental Psychology among psychologists and the broader community. It recognises psychologists who have demonstrated unwavering dedication to Childhood Development and Early Intervention services, while also excelling in mentoring and leadership of peers and early career psychologists.
This award is established in recognition of Janene Swalwell's significant contributions to Educational & Developmental Psychology in Australia and provides encouragement and support to researchers and practitioners working in developmental psychology and early intervention, fostering excellence and positive impact in the field.
Janene’s holistic approach to supporting people of all ages and their families contributed significantly to the psychological practice of those working in this industry, particularly her support, advocacy and work in Early Childhood Development and the supervision of registered and provisional psychologists over many years. Janene will be remembered for her strong advocacy and interest in supporting children and families through strong child-family relationships, building upon attachment theory, family systems, biopsychosocial model and child-centered practices.
Administration
a) The College of Educational & Developmental Psychologists is responsible for the administration and funding of this award.
b) The National Committee for the College of Educational & Developmental Psychologists will appoint a selection committee comprised of at least three (3) members from the Member Group. This committee will be responsible for selecting a suitable recipient for the Award.
Additional administration details:
- The selection panel must consist of a minimum of three Endorsed Educational and Developmental Psychologists who are active members of the Member Group, including an Educational & Developmental Psychologist with expertise in Early Childhood Development and Intervention.
- Panel members cannot be nominated for the Award.
- The Award will be presented at a College of Educational & Developmental Psychologists conference.
Eligibility
The award will be given to an Educational and Developmental Psychologist who exhibits the following:
- Has provided service to educational and developmental psychology through their professional practice.
- Nominees will have a minimum of 5 years of experience and have a master’s degree or endorsement in educational and developmental psychology
- Demonstrated commitment as a member of the APS & the CEDP including current membership (associate or fellow).
In addition, the nominee demonstrates a minimum of one of the following:
- Has significantly contributed to advocacy for educational and developmental psychologists through their practice, research, or education.
- Is an established, or emerging, leader in the provision of early childhood intervention services and has significantly contributed to supporting vulnerable children and their families through the practice of evidence-based, person-centered, developmental psychology (either through research, practice, or advocacy)
- Has significantly contributed to the development of early career practitioners, registrars, and/or provisional psychologists in the area of Educational and Developmental Psychology. This may be enacted through advocacy, research, and/or best practice in clinical supervision.
Nomination process
a) The College of Educational & Developmental Psychologists will call for nominations from the membership of the College via APS digital communication channels.
b) Nominations must be proposed and seconded by APS members, with at least one being an Educational and Developmental Psychologist.
c) The nomination must include a brief report supporting the nomination and giving details of the nominee’s suitability.
d) Self-nominations will not be accepted.
Selection criteria
The following selection criteria must be addressed in the nomination.
- Provide a summary of the nominee’s experience and work roles that demonstrate commitment to educational and developmental psychology, particularly one (or more) of the following areas
- Educational and Developmental Psychology particularly in the areas of Early Childhood Development and Disability OR
- Supervision of students, peers, and early career psychologists in Educational and Developmental Psychology OR
- Advocacy for Educational and Developmental Psychology.
- Describe how the nominee has demonstrated a significant contribution to educational & developmental psychology, in one (or more) of the following areas:
- Educational and Developmental Psychology particularly in the area of Early Childhood Development and Intervention, OR
- Supervision of students, peers, and early career psychologists in Educational and Developmental Psychology OR
- Advocacy for Educational and Developmental Psychology.
- Describe how the nominee’s commitment to and emphasis on evidence-based practices align with Janene Swalwell’s values and interest areas in at least one (or more) of the following domains:
- Early childhood development and intervention (i.e., attachment theory, family systems, biopsychosocial model, child-centred practices, the Pyramid Model) AND/OR
- supervision and support of students, peers, and early career psychologists in Educational and Developmental Psychology AND/OR
- Advocacy for Educational and Developmental Psychology.
- Describe how the nominee has demonstrated leadership (or emerging leadership) in educational & developmental psychology, in one of the following areas:
- Educational and Developmental Psychology and Early Childhood Development and Intervention, OR
- Supervision of students and early career psychologists OR
- Advocacy for Educational and Developmental Psychology.
- Describe the nominee's commitment to promoting educational & developmental psychology and how they are connected and/or network in the community to strengthen one or more of the following:
- Services for children and their families AND/OR
- Competency development and support of students, students, and early career practitioners in Educational and Developmental Psychology AND/OR
- Advocacy for Educational and Developmental Psychology.
Value of the award
The successful candidate for the Janene Swalwell Memorial Award will receive the following:
a) 12 months membership to the College of Educational & Developmental Psychologists.
b) Free admission to the next College of Educational & Developmental Psychologists conference.
c) Invitation to be a keynote speaker at the conference – addressing early childhood services from their point of view and/or share their experiences of working in Early Childhood Services.
d) An award certificate and/or trophy to commemorate the achievement.
e) The candidate’s achievements will be celebrated via APS digital communication channels.
Closing date
Nominations close 31 July
To nominate for this award, click here.
For any further information, please contact:
Member Groups Administrator
Tel: 1800 333 497
Email: [email protected]
Previous winners
| 2025 |
Paul Bertoia |
| 2024 |
Caroline Keating |