The Activity Zone helps young people turn interests, school experiences, and community involvement into meaningful Award activities that build skills, confidence, and independence. For participants, it shows what counts and how to get started using things you already do. For educators and Award Leaders, it provides practical examples to support goalsetting, progress tracking, and reflection without adding unnecessary workload.
The examples are flexible by design. Activities can look different for each participant and can count for their Awards as long as they meet the 7 Elements of the Award Canada Way.
Explore the Activity Zone How does it work? Educator GuidanceExplore Ideas for Building Your Award
Browse the activity ideas below, or create your own and see where your Award journey takes you. And remember, you can do all of them with friends and/or use school activities!
These examples show how everyday curriculum activities can count when there are clear goals, ongoing progress, and time to reflect. Educators can also find guidance on aligning the Award with their curriculum here.
Explore interests, pathways, and future options through school and community experiences. Activities like research, coop preparation, portfolios, and workplace learning can count when paired with clear goals and reflection.
Build on creative, technical, cultural, or personal interests you already enjoy or explore new ones that help you grow skills, confidence, and self motivation.
From competitive sports to recreational movement and adaptive activities, this category shows how training, teamwork, leadership, and fitness routines can all support physical and personal development.
Develop practical skills that support independence, wellbeing, and confidence such as communication, time management, financial literacy, and everyday life skills.
Contribute to causes that matter to you. Volunteering, advocacy, fundraising, and service projects count when they are purposeful and show learning over time.
Start with your Adventurous Journey and think about all the different ways you can build your Award around it.
Take your SHSM diploma to a national level by setting goals and reflecting on your experiences to build your portfolio with Award Canada.
Build Your Award:
The Activity Zone can be navigated by subject categories and highlights activity ideas with SMART Goal examples. Activities can look different for each participant as long as they meet the 7 elements of the Award Canada Way. Participants can explore ideas across all Award sections and can be done individually or with others, in or out of school, and using experiences you already have.
Award Sections
Skill Development – building knowledge and capability over time
Physical Recreation – developing fitness, confidence, and healthy routines
Voluntary Service – contributing to others or the environment with purpose
Adventurous Journey – planning and completing a purposeful team journey
Explore ideas that interest you.
Choose one, adapt it, or create your own.
Set a SMART goal, work with an Assessor, and reflect on how you are improving over time.
Use the examples to prompt ideas and guide goal setting. and reflection.
Help connect existing school or out of school activities to the Award framework.
Focus on progress, reflection, and consistency.
Does my activity count?
Many strong Award activities start with something a young person already does or start as a rough idea and take shape with support.
What about school activities?
Many school activities work especially well for the Award. With simple adjustments, existing activities can become Award‑ready without adding extra work. Classes, clubs, teams, leadership roles, and projects can count when participants:
Set a personally challenging SMART goal
Track progress over time
Reflect on learning, challenges, and growth
Guidance for adults delivering the Award
Adults help young people turn ideas into meaningful learning. When young people feel trusted to shape their Award journey, engagement and follow through increase. Educators can find further delivery guidance here (link new page).
The focus is not to limit options, but to help shape them:
Support problem solving rather than shutting ideas down
Emphasize outcomes, growth, and reflection
Encourage choice, ownership, and decision making
