Who We Are

BACKGROUND

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Young Canadians Challenge is presented to young people who have achieved a set standard in community service and self-improvement. It is a programme of activities designed to challenge youth to become involved in worthwhile extracurricular activities, leading to personal growth, development and achievement.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was founded in 1956 by HRH Prince Philip to help young people develop into responsible adults who will continue to learn new skills, stay healthy and fit, care about their environment and contribute to their community throughout the rest of their lives. In short, the Award Programme offers excellent guidelines for a full life and responsible citizenship.

Participating in the Award Programme is done on a volunteer basis and builds character by developing such qualities as self-confidence, leadership skills, responsibility, compassion and self-reliance. As a result, participants become more responsible citizens in our society. The Award Programme is a non-competitive, self-directed programme open to any young person age fourteen to twenty-five years old. Each of the three levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold) is progressively more challenging than the previous one; yet the Award Programme is readily adapted to all individuals regardless of ability.

Award requirements for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award include satisfactory completion of the programme components:

Volunteer Community Service: participants are encouraged to become involved in community activities as volunteers, thereby learning the advantages and value of contributing to their community.

Developing a Skill or Hobby: participants are encouraged to develop skills and hobbies that can emphasize the importance of a well-balanced focus in life and positive leisure time activities.

Participation in Physical Fitness Activities: participants take part in physical fitness activities with the purpose of encouraging a healthy, active lifestyle that will become a way of life.

Outdoor Adventurous Projects: to develop participant’s self-reliance and team-building skills by undertaking an interesting and challenging outdoor journey of discovery. Plus, youth are directed toward developing an appreciation and protection for the surrounding environment and an ability to live in harmony with nature.

Residential Project: the youth must undertake a shared training or service away from home, over a period of no less than five days/four nights. (Gold Award level only).

This International Award Programme operates worldwide in over 110 countries. It was introduced into Canada in 1963 and began in Nova Scotia in 1972. Thousands of Canadians have made a difference to their own lives and their communities by achieving the Bronze, Silver, and/or Gold.

Benefits of involvement in the Award Programme to the youth and their communities

The benefits of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme are recognized by educators and employers. Some of the benefits to young people include developing or discovering:

• Self-belief, self-confidence and a sense of identity
• Independence - of thought and action
• A sense of responsibility to others and to one’s community
• An awareness of their potential
• New talents, abilities and new relationships
• An understanding of their strengths and weaknesses
• The ability to learn from and give to others in the community
• Skills including problem solving, presentation and communication
• The ability to lead and work as part of a team and develop leadership skills
• Environmental protection awareness
• The importance of goal-setting, perseverance and determination