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Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Award is widely recognised by employers and people involved in education. Some of the benefits to your daughters include developing self-confidence and self-reliance; gaining a sense of achievement and a sense of responsibility; discovering new skills, interests and talents and developing leadership skills and abilities. They can also discover exciting opportunities; make new friends; experience teamwork, problem-solving and decision-making; increase their motivation; enhance their self-esteem and develop their communication skills. They will also, of course, have fun!
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The Award gives opportunities for your daughter to:
- enjoy a wide variety of physical, creative and aesthetic experiences which encourage personal growth and development;
- experience new lifestyles and cultures outside their own immediate neighbourhood, possibly abroad;
- experience a variety of learning and teaching styles with people from different walks of life;
- take decisions of increasing complexity and accept responsibility for the consequences;
- discover new talents and abilities and test values and beliefs;
- give a continuing personal commitment of service to others;
- establish and sustain inter-personal relationships;
- negotiate their own personal programme of participation, seeking out and researching relevant information, and gradually take responsibility for their own learning;
- understanding their strengths and weakness, assess their personal level of competence, increase their own personal effectiveness and take responsibility for their own lives having a great time!
...But don't take my word for it. Here's what Juliet Colley has to say.
After completing my Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award, nothing was going to stop me from carrying out my Gold. I first chose to do DofE because I enjoy a challenge and wanted to stretch my limits physically on the expedition section. I knew it would involve commitment so I made sure I started each of the sections as early as possible.
For my 12 months of service I volunteered in a community café. I enjoyed this because it is completely different to something that I would usually do. I met other members of the community through this and I also achieved my basic food hygiene certificate.
The skills section is the one I have always found most challenging to find an activity for. I was new to Dame Alice in sixth form and soon realised all the opportunities that were open to me. I chose to go to Debating Society because I had never had the chance to try this before but realised that it would be a very valuable skill to be able to put cases across to other people. From going to debating society I have got to know many other girls in the senior school. Debating had been a real confidence builder and has helped me to gain a wider knowledge on a range of issues.
I already enjoyed running and decided on middle distance running with Bedford and County Athletics Club for the physical recreation section. I find running such a great sport because you can challenge yourself personally but at the same time you can be part of a team in event such as relays. I have competed in many local and several regional races. Racing gives a real sense of achievement and motivation to train harder to do even better next time. Running really builds up your fitness which I found a great advantage for when I completed the expeditions.
I undertook my practice expedition in the Lake District and my actual expedition in the Brecon Beacons. They were both challenging yet rewarding - my favourite part of all the expeditions I have done is arriving at the campsite after a full days walking and having fun with the rest of the group. Prior to the expedition the route needs to be planned and whilst walking I took the role of team leader, helping to motivate the rest of the group to keep going; and of team player, confirming where we were on the map and where we needed to go next.
The final section is the residential project. I did this in West Runton on a field with 7 other young people and 6 leaders. We built a campsite which included 40 bell tents, a cook house and toilet sewage systems. This was in preparation for 4 weeks of holiday camps to follow of which I stayed on for 2 weeks to volunteer as a junior leader. Building the site was hard work, especially when it was raining and windy and we were trying to hammer tent pegs into the ground but it was worth it to see the progress from a bare field transformed into a fully functioning campsite.
Overall I have really enjoyed DofE, it has been a great way of meeting people. I would recommend it to anyone who is committed and up for a challenge. I finished my Gold Award in October 2007 and am looking forward to having it presented at the Palace.
Juliet Colley