Duke Award
This evening I've sat down to write this article, my first for Thistle Talk, on the subject of our Duke Award programme. I am writing this from Cumbrae Island on the West Coast of Scotland, where G12 students have been working outdoors all weekend on ecological fieldwork investigations. I’ve been impressed with their resilience in the field, and the sense of community they have for each other in the face of new challenges like the Scottish ‘midge’.
Yet watching them learn and behave so confidently in an unfamiliar environment has got me thinking about how their life skills have developed over the years to achieve this, and it hasn’t been by accident. For staff at ISA, we are constantly discussing which programmes are best for developing students who we hope become socially responsible and active global citizens. As a result, we’ve recently introduced the Duke Award at ISA as another pathway by which we might achieve this.
The Duke Award is modelled closely on the internationally-recognized Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) which has traditionally been offered at ISA to our G9-12 High School students. Coordinated by Mr. Cooper, this award programme has been transformational for many of our students. It requires students to complete an expedition, learn a new skill, undertake volunteer work, and commit to physical activity. Students have loved the sense of achievement and independence that the award provides, so why not offer the same opportunity to our younger students?
That is where the Duke Award comes in. To gain a Duke Award, students are required to complete a series of challenges independently across the year, ranging from their first camping trips, to planning an outing on public transport for their family, or to simply tidying their bedroom or mending their own clothes. They are rewarded with a certificate and badge, but also with a growing confidence in their own abilities as global citizens.
The award is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn valuable life skills which we as adults often take for granted. It is easy for us to forget how daunting it can be for young children to take a new form of transport, or how insurmountable it might feel to cook a meal or even clean their own room. In reality, these basic skills are not inherited at birth. Children need showing, reminding, modelling and celebrating so that they embed these lifeskills into their daily routines - this is what the Duke Award excels at.
With the Duke Award, we hope that the school can better partner with families to widen the scope for the personal growth of our young students, as well as to better prepare them for the challenges that life can bring - whether it is coping with the Scottish wildlife, looking after themselves at university, or simply learning how to take enjoyment in their own self development. I therefore hope that all ISA students take advantage of these programmes, as well as our usual after school clubs and sports, in order to fulfil their potential as global citizens. It’s also just fun!
To that end, Middle School students have been invited to sign up for the Senior Duke Award programme in this letter, and Elementary students will be presented with the Junior Duke programme later in the month. In the meantime, please contact Mr. Budd if you have any questions about the Duke Award Programme or review these slides, and Mr. Cooper if you would like to know more about the High School Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Stephen Budd
Citizenship Coordinator & Teacher of Environmental and Social Sciences
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