How to continue your Duke of Edinburgh’s Award during the challenging months ahead

There are many ways in which Participants can continue their activities for the Skills, Voluntary Service and Physical Recreation Sections from their own homes, to ensure they can keep their Award progress on track, whilst still providing enough evidence to Assessors and Award Leaders to continue progressing goals. It’s important to stay engaged, active and healthy in a safe and positive way and the Award can be a great way of doing so. Participants will continue to have the support of their Award Leaders, Doric Swain and myself. We are happy for you to call us, set up a Zoom meeting or send an email with questions and concerns.

Please be sure to personally start conversations with your Activity Assessors about how you might look to complete your activities in the weeks and months ahead. Activity Assessors are permitted and encouraged to be flexible in the way you will pursue your Award activities. Please note: it is paramount that anyone considering undertaking Award activities outside of the home in areas affected by the COVID-19 virus outbreak comply with the latest relevant government policies before doing so, and may need to consult relevant health authorities. The health of the individual and community should always be the first priority when choosing new activities.

Physical Recreation

This Section is about improving physical fitness and wellbeing. It is very important to keep this up, especially if restricted to the house. Whatever activity and goal you have chosen, there are many ways to continue progressing by exercising at home. Fitness workout, yoga sessions, running, walking, hiking, swimming in your home pool, online aerobics classes etc can all be used instead of your usual team sports. Increasing your fitness levels in home workout sessions will undoubtedly contribute to your physical recreation goals. It is important evidence is shown of progress to Assessors by uploading any photos, videos or workout plans to your Online Record Book (ORB).  

Skills

Progress towards the Skills Section is something that can easily be done from home. If the Participant is learning a musical instrument, a new language, cooking new recipes, designing software or creating art – or any other activity – chances are they have all the tools they need at home to continue working towards their goal. They can also get in contact with their Assessor or Award Leader to help them find some activities, or alternatively, can look online to find tutorials to help continue their progress towards that skill. Setting yourself new challenges is a very healthy approach at this time. Make sure you are specific with your log descriptors and upload photos or videos directly to the (ORB) as evidence of you improving your skills from home.

Voluntary Service

 The Voluntary Service Section may appear difficult to complete remotely, especially if the Participant has chosen a group project activity, or if their goal requires them to visit a particular location away from their home. There may be a sense of agreed “pay it forward” here with your assessor, and you might be able to complete the more physical aspects of your volunteering later in your Award while still working on activities that can be done from home that contribute to a Participant’s overall goal. Remotely working towards a project is possible, as they can start a chat group with fellow Participants and brainstorm activities that can be done at home to continue contributing to the project. Online research, creating brochures for raising awareness, or posting helpful things online for the community can all be activities that contribute to a Participant’s goal. If they are not sure of what activities can be done to contribute to their Voluntary Service Section, Participants should contact their Assessor or Award Leader to support them in finding new creative ideas. Otherwise I have listed some remote service activities below that you may decide to switch to.  Another worthwhile option is Ms Chadwick’s knitting/sewing items for the homeless or for those affected by the bushfires. Please email Ms Chadwick to find out more about what is involved if this could be of interest.

Adventurous Journey and Gold Residential Project

As the Adventurous Journey and Gold Residential Project Sections are group activities, they both represent the most challenging sections to complete during the virus outbreak. The hikes will be delayed until school goes back, or we are given the go ahead. We will email the girls in advance once we know when we might be able to resume and will send out the new dates. I will contact participants with any updated and additional specific advice about our planned departures across the year ahead. We love delivering our hikes and still hope to be able to head out on some expeditions this year.

Similarly options for organising Gold Residential Projects will be limited, however they can start planning in detail what they may wish to do for their Residential Project from their home and potentially reach-out to organisations that they are keen to support and/or work with for their project.

We are particularly sympathetic to the Gold participants who might have one hike or their Residential Project to complete their Gold Award and we will do everything we can to support them with university applications etc. Duke of Edinburgh NSW Office is also aware of these issues and may come up with assistance. They have also pointed out that Participants have until they are 25 years old to finish. With honest discussion, negotiation and support from your activity Assessor and Award Leader we will get through this together.

Whilst the ideal situation for a young person progressing through the Award remains that they pick an activity and stick it at for the time requirements for the relevant level, the COVID-19 outbreak is a good example where pragmatic and practical solutions will need to apply and some students will need to change their activity. Participants will need to send me an email with the name of the new activity and assessor’s email if a change is required.          

Please be sure that your discussions, suggestions and solutions are in line with the SCEGGS values and will meet the Award requirements. No short cuts here.

In conclusion, I urge everyone to take care, remember your responsibilities to others in our community, and remain positive in these times of crisis. Many of the tasks and goals you have set yourself for this year need not change, whether that is with school work, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, or personal ambitions. Doric and I are still fully committed to doing everything we can to assist you with your award – we can be contacted by email, and will provide Award updates as they arise.

Joanne Bower and Doric Swain
Award Leaders