A proud College tradition since 2009, our students have the opportunity to complete the internationally recognised Duke of Edinburgh Award. Students in Years 9 to 12 can work toward a bronze, silver or gold award, contributing to the community and enhancing their learning adventure.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award provides students with a unique learning opportunity to embark on a meaningful journey of personal discovery and growth. With a strong focus on holistic skill development and community, the program perfectly complements the education philosophy at the College – a learning community committed to excellence and service.
The program can be personalised to suit individual student interests and pursuits, within four mandatory fields:
- Physical Recreation – sport and fitness
- Skill – learn a new skill
- Voluntary Service – connect with the community
- Adventurous Journey – a journey into an unfamiliar environment
- Residential Project (Gold Award only) – live and work in a place of need in Australia or overseas.
Students can participate in the following Awards:
- Bronze (three months)
- Silver (six months)
- Gold (12 months)
Adventurous Journey
The Adventurous Journey is known as the hallmark of the Duke of Edinburgh Award – it’s a destination into unfamiliar territory designed to develop leadership skills and resilience and promote independence. At Shellharbour, journeys take place twice a year for each year level. Gold students travel to a range of places from Springbrook National Park, Queensland to Tasmania, the Blue Mountains and Kangaroo Valley.
Residential Project
Gold students also participate in a Residential Project that sees them live and work in a place of need. At Shellharbour, our Gold students travel to Gilgandra as part of an annual Service Learning Trip to fulfill this component of the Award. Find out more about the Gilgandra Trip.
Benefits
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is known as a journey of personal discovery and growth. This unique program allows the adventure of learning to come to life, providing a safe space for young people to explore opportunities, celebrate successes and embrace challenge. There are a number of benefits to participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award:
- Builds confidence and self-esteem.
- Develops a sense of identity.
- Generates a sense of responsibility and initiative.
- Forms new talents and skills.
- Develops friendship and social skills.
- Creates a true awareness of personal strengths.
- Establishes good time management and planning skills.
- Grows leadership.
