Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh award is a life-changing adventure for young people ages 14-24. It helps young people develop skills for their future life and work. Doing their D of E is a brilliant way for students to discover just how much they are capable of. It gives them a chance to make new friends, follow their passions, learn new skills and make a difference to their community. It is also a great way to impress future employers too.
It is a non-competitive and powerful way for every young person to build belief in themselves, whatever their background, interests and abilities.
Through the skills section, young people are encouraged to develop a set of practical and social skills.
They will be able to choose whether to develop their skills in areas where they have an existing passion, or to learn about something new.
In the past, young people have used their skills section to develop their interests and talents in a huge range of areas including computer coding, driving and cooking.
A key component of any DofE Award is the Physical section, through which young people are encouraged to take part in regular physical activity.
We know that regular physical activity improves young people’s physical and mental health so is a great habit to acquire when still young.
Almost any dance, sport or fitness activity can count – it’s completely up to them which activities they choose, including whether they seek to join a team or choose to do an activity on their own.
Completing the Physical section might be the push needed for a young person to try something completely different, or to concentrate and improve on something they are already doing.
Every young person who pursues a DofE award will be asked to devote some time to volunteering.
Through volunteering, young people have the opportunity to give up their time to help others or to make a difference to causes they feel passionate about.
As well as changing things for the better, volunteering can be incredibly rewarding for young people – growing their confidence and sense of independence and gaining new skills they can use in their future lives and careers.
Examples of volunteering could be coaching a local football team, collecting items for a foodbank or campaigning for change on issues they feel passionate about.
As part of a small team, they will plan their aim, do some training to make sure they’re prepared and know what they are doing.
They can choose how they want to travel – it doesn’t have to be on foot. They could do it by bike, canoe, kayak, wheelchair, sailing boat or even on a horse.
The expedition is an incredible experience which will help your young person develop resilience, communication, teamwork and leadership skills.
The school will arrange the dates and times for the expeditions.
For further information please visit the Duke of Edinburgh website: https://www.dofe.org/ or contact DofE@dorothy-stringer.co.uk