Fifteen learners at Solihull Sixth Form College are celebrating success on the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. All have achieved Bronze Awards and three of them have also gone on to complete their Silver awards.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme has four sections: volunteering, physical, skills and an adventurous journey. Participants must spend minimum specified periods of time on these and demonstrate progress. They also train for, plan and complete a completely self-sufficient expedition, which involves walking for a significant distance each day and camping overnight.
This year those who achieved their Bronze awards completed an expedition in the local Warwickshire countryside in July 2023. Three of the students went on to attain the Silver award, for which they completed an expedition in the Malvern Hills in September 2023. This was particularly challenging due to the exceptionally hot weather at the time, but those on the expedition coped admirably.
The Manager of the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme at Solihull Sixth Form College commented:
“The Duke of Edinburgh Awards are a highly valued initiative. We are so proud of all the learners who have taken part in the awards scheme this year. They have contributed to their communities, learned new life skills, developed confidence and made new friends along the way. All the learners who have completed the awards so far have done exceptionally well, showing determination and great organisational capacity. Achieving a Duke of Edinburgh Award demonstrates a wider skills set that will also help them to stand out from the crowd when applying for university places, apprenticeships and employment.”
Several other learners are now well on their way to completing their awards later this year with a wide variety of activities already planned.
29 April 2024