The Duke of Edinburgh Award
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award aims to provide an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding programme of personal development, which is of the highest quality and widest reach. The programme has 3 levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold) which require increasing levels of commitment. Participants must be aged between 14-25.
Each participant has to complete 4 sections:
- Volunteering - to encourage volunteering to individuals and the community
- Skills – to encourage the discovery and development of personal interests and social and practical skills.
- Physical – to encourage participation and improvement in physical activity.
- Expeditions – to encourage a spirit of adventure and discovery.
At Gold level participants also complete a residential project. The aim of this is to broaden experience through involvement with others in a residential setting.
In Highland, award groups operate in schools, voluntary youth organisations, uniformed groups, youth clubs and business units. Find out more here.
Youth Achievement Award
Youth Achievement Awards are aimed at young people aged 14 and over. There are four levels of award - Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Bronze level is about taking part in activities; Silver is about helping to organise activities; for Gold, participants must plan, organise and lead their own activities and for Platinum young people take on a leadership or peer education role.
At each level young people must set themselves challenge and targets and record the progress they make. Evidence is collected in a portfolio and is assessed by other young people in the group (peer assessed), before going on to be internally and externally moderated.
Youth Achievement Awards are accredited through ASDAN, and have been levelled against the Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework. They can be used in many different settings and with all groups of young people. (Teaching staff, Youth Development Officers, Children’s Service Workers and Learning Support teams are amongst those that have/are undertaking training in these awards).
John Muir Award
The John Muir Award is an environmental award scheme focused on wild places. It encourages awareness and responsibility for the natural environment, in a spirit of fun, adventure and exploration.
The John Muir Awards are not competitive. There are three Levels of award, which involve a greater level of commitment. All levels of the Award are based on meeting the same four challenges of: Discover, Explore, Conserve, Share.
These awards have been used very successfully in Skye as part of a summer programme of activities for young people and in a number of schools and community settings across Highland.
Millennium Volunteer Awards
Millennium Volunteer Awards recognise young epople aged 16-25 who give time to voluntray porjects. There is no cost to get involved in the scheme.
Young people are presented with certificates to recognise 50 hours, 100 hours or 200 hours of volunteering. This last certificate is signed by the First Minister.
Young Highlander Awards
Throughout the Highlands it has been identified that many young people under the age of 16 currently volunteer. The Young Highlander Award has been introduced as a way to reward these volunteers for their hard work.
There are three levels of Young Highlander Award:Bronze Award for 40 hours volunteering; Silver Award 60 hours volunteering and Gold Award for 120 hours volunteering.
Young Quality Scot Awards
The Young Quality Scot Award recognise and reward young volunteers in Scotland and is a partnership between Quality Scotland and ten councils across Scotland, the awards recognises and rewards the efforts of young people to improve the quality of life in their communities.
To be entitled to the award you must be:
- 16 to 19 years old.
- Personally and actively involved in trying to make a difference to your community by yourself, with friends or through a club or other organisation.
- You should be able take part in a local training event, and then a national celebration where you will receive your certificate.
- Nomination forms are available each year in November/December. Please contact mike.jones3@highlifehighland.com for forms.