>From David Lewis, Head of NT's Duke of Edinburgh Award Program: Did you know NT has Duke of Edinburgh Award club for students interested in working to achieve this prestigious Award? A full description of the Award is outlined below. If your son or daughter is interested in joining then have them pick up a form outside of the Geography Office which outlines all the important details. Once complete, they should attach a cheque to the form (NOT money) and also drop it off outside of the Geography Office.
The Duke of Ed: Are you the kind of person who is involved in lots of things? Are you interested in taking on a challenge? Do you want to have a great thing for your resume? Then the Duke of Ed is for you! What is the Duke of Ed? The Duke of Ed is an Award programme that encourages young people 14 to 25 to set goals, get involved in new activities and pursue interests in four areas: physical fitness, expeditions, skills and service. There are three different levels of the Award: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Most people start off with the Bronze and then work their way up the levels. What Do You Have to Do? It is simple! You just have to choose an activity of interest to you and set a goal in each of the four areas and then work to achieve it. The four areas are: Community Service: Provide volunteer service to others and your community Personal Skill Development: Develop a skill in an area of personal interest. An example is music. Physical Recreation: Participate in a physical activity. Virtually any sport, dance or fitness activity can count. Adventurous Journey: Plan, train for and complete an expedition. Who Started the Award? If you said the Duke of Edinburgh, you are right! The Duke of Edinburgh's Award was founded in 1956 by His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh K.G. K.T. The Award is recognized in 126 countries around the world! How Old Do you Have to Be? If you are 14 you can go for the Bronze, if you are 15 you can achieve the Silver and if you are 16 or older you can go for the Gold. How Long Will it Take Me? It depends on the Award. Bronze takes at least 6 months to complete, Silver is a minimum of 12 months and Gold a minimum of 18 months (or a minimum of only 12 months if you already have your Silver). Should I Go for My Duke of Ed? Yes! You are probably already doing lots of things that can count towards the Award. Your volunteer hours you are earning count, the sports teams or dance class you are taking counts. And why not also try something new, challenge yourself and learn new skills? Plus it looks really great on a resume and is fantastic to include on your university application! Did You Know? NT's own Mr. Gorenkoff is a Duke of Ed GOLD recipient!
