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| Duke of Edinburgh |
 Duke
of Edinburgh's Award |
| Duke of Edinburgh Official Web Site | Frequently Asked Questions |
| "Great
experience. Arms got sore from canoeing, but was extremely good fun. Loved
playing the games. What’s said in tent stays in the tent. Best D.O.E. group!" Emma "Good fun with a great bunch of mates. Great campfire stories by Mr Body." Nige "Duke of Ed was great fun. I was really tired but it’s worth it when you see some of the views." Abbie " The walking, the views, wildlife, lots of cuts and bruises, the not normal dinners, the adventure with friends." |
"Duke of Ed was awesome.
The best part was walking along the river and the camp fire games. Chubby
bunny made me sick. Mr Body and Mrs Martin were great." "Taryn had trouble eating her dinner so Kirsty had to feed her. We sang as we walked along the fire trail and had lots of fun. It was great being out in the bush and not at school." " I capsized Tom and Dan." Josh "The landscapes and cliffs were breath taking." Paul "You have fun teachers with you. You feel really bad when you are walking but you eventually have to agree you had fun." |
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an exciting self development program available to all young people worldwide equipping them with life skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and their world. To date over 5 million young people from over 100 countries have been motivated to undertake a variety of volunteer and challenging activities. The Award concept is one of individual challenge. It presents to young people a balanced, non-competitive program of voluntary activities, which encourage personal discovery and growth, self reliance, perseverance, responsibility to themselves and service to their community. |
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Benefits |
Greater sense of commitment |
| At Hawkesbury High School, the award has been running successfully for many years thanks to the ongoing support of staff, students and parents. We currently have over 90 students working through various stages of the Award. The Co-ordinator of the Award is Mr Steven Body, who has over 15 years experience in outdoor education, leading both adults and children in many outdoor activities. |
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He is trained in remote area first aid and has extensive experience hiking, biking, climbing and canyoning in the Blue Mountains National Park. He is assisted by various staff members including; Mrs Sullivan, Ms Moran, Ms Martin and Ms Tucker |
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The Award The Award consists of four areas: 1.Community Service 2.Physical Activity
Three levels: Expeditions are run by the school, during term time and involve hiking and canoeing journeys usually in our extensive Blue Mountains National Park ‘backyard’. |
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Students at Hawkesbury High School begin completing their ‘Bronze’ level award in year Nine, and can work their way up through Silver and Gold in the following years. |
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How much will it cost? Registration is $80 (non-refundable). This covers insurance costs, printing of record books, and a little to the school to provide funds for equipment purchase like maps and compasses. This fee lasts for all levels of the award. Each level of the award consists of two
expeditions. Costs are approximate and will vary with participant numbers, need for buses and venue for hike. The bulk of the money covers half the cost of replacement staff back at school (HHS pays for other half) and maintenance of satellite phone. How much equipment will I need to buy? To begin the award at bronze level, we suggest borrowing as much equiment as possible. Essential items are a sturdy pack, a tent between two and an appropriate sleeping bag for the time of year. The school can supply some equipment if needed. We have some packs, cooking stoves and tents that can be used at no cost. The school supplies all maps and compasses. Do I need to be fit? Yes, a basic level of fitness is required to achieve the award and we encourage all participants to improve their fitness and train for expeditions. They will be a challenge for some people! Can I do it with my friends? Yes! Expeditions are with people of your choosing and where possible we try to put you in groups of your choice. The other activities can also be completed with your mates. If I miss an expedition for some reason, can I still do the award? Yes. You have the option to complete the expedition with another group at a later date, or the expedition can be arranged through a private organization like Camp Somerset and completed in your own time. |
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