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Requirements
General Requirements
1. Entry into The Award Programme is open to all young people and is made by registering with a participating group or with the Provincial Award Office. No activities undertaken before the entry date may count towards an Award. A young person my enter at any level, subject to the following age requirements:
a. Bronze - 14 years of age
b. Silver - 15 years of age
c. Gold - 16 years of age
The upper age limit for all Awards is the applicant's 25th birthday, and all activities to be counted for an Award must be completed by this time.
2. For each Award, those taking part must complete activities in four sections:
a. Service,
b. Adventurous Journey,
c. Skills (Hobbies), and
d. Physical Recreation.
Gold Award participants must also complete a Residential Project.
A participant may not use the same activity to qualify for more that one section of The Award Programme. The Award was designed to encourage the development of well rounded individuals. It's four sections actively engage youth in four different aspects of personal development. Check our Resources section for possible qualifying activities. The lists provides are not exhaustive. If you are not sure whether an activity qualifies please contact the Provincial Award Office.
3. The minimum time requirement for each level of the Award is:
a. Bronze - six months,
b. Silver - twelve months, or a minimum of six months if you have achieved the Bronze Award, and
c. Gold - eighteen months, or a minimum of twelve months if you have achieved the Silver Award.
Note that these time requirements are only the minimums, meaning you cannot complete your Award in any less than 6, 12, or 18 months. You can take longer if you so desire and there is no need to contact the office to ask for an extension. The minimums are simply The Award Programme's way of encouraging its participants to stay involved with volunteering or to continue to lead an active lifestyle even when you have completed the Programme requirements.
4. Please ensure that your service is spread out over the required number of months. The Award is meant to encourage regular participation in a particular service activity. The reviewer will look to see that you did service in each of the six, twelve or eighteen months. The Award Programme realizes that there may be some circumstances where the service being performed is unable to be carried out due to factors beyond the participant's control.
5. a. If you are planning something different for your adventurous journey from what is outlined in the record book, please consult the Provincial Award Office. This pertains to differences in modes of travel, accommodations or distance covered, etc. Toughness of terrain as well as mode of travel may have an impact on the distance covered. Please consult the Provincial Office if you are unsure about your trip meeting the requirements. As well, all explorations and adventurous projects require prior approval by the Provincial Office.
b. Nights away should be spent camping. Where camping proves to be impossible, rough cabins, barns or huts with no amenities may be utilized. If these accommodations are used they should be in a remote location. Participants doing an adventurous journey are also expected to change locations each night and carry all of their equipment during travel.
c. During a practice journey, the participants are expected to carry all equipment. This includes tent, sleeping gear, stoves, and enough food to prepare one meal (preferably a hot meal). This enables participants to feel the actual weight of a full pack. Participants are also expected to set up camp, cook a meal and cover a distance of 7-10 km. Participants should also use the mode of travel that they will be using on their qualifying journey.
d. For the adventurous journey log/journal, you may use a pre-formatted log (obtained from the Provincial Office) or your may write one of your own. Please refer to the questions on pages 20-21 or your record book. Your journal should simply be a chronological sequence of events. You are encouraged to add personal thought, photos, etc. A brief write-up on your practice(s) journey(s) is also required. Remember to include the following: maps, group list, equipment list and menu.
6. A young person must only pick one skill and commit to it for the required amount of time. Some of the most popular include: playing a musical instrument, drama, art, web page design, singing, driver education programmes, cooking, photography, sewing, public speaking, debating, leadership and marksmanship.
For an extensive listing of skills, please click here to visit the Duke Of Edinbugh's Award - UK Website.
7. For the Physical Recreation section, keep in mind that you may not count any
more than 2 hours of activity in one calendar week. All sporting activities
should be recorded under Physical Recreation and not under the skill section.
8. Once you have completed all the requirements for a specific Award, you must submit your book for review. Please check carefully to ensure all assessors have signed your book and completed the assessor's reports. You must submit an Award application form along with your record book and adventurous journey log (a printable application form can be found in our Resources). Attached to your expedition log should be several pieces of supplementary information: maps, a group list, an equipment list and a menu. Feel free to send along any photos.
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