2022 School Magazine

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

T he Duke of Edinburgh Award, an internationally recognised Award, acknowledges participation in Physical Recreation, Voluntary Service, Skill, Adventurous Journeys, and for the Gold Award, a Residential Project. Within these areas, participants use an Online Record Book to log their engagement with activities, whether that is crocheting, playing an instrument, or even making origami. There are plenty of activities for students to try! Although the Award can be completed externally, we are extremely fortunate to have a program within the School led by our Award Leader, Ms Anna Flourentzou. The unique factor that attracts a lot of students to the Award is the Adventurous Journeys. Adventurous Journeys are an outdoor education experience, where students hike for multiple days, using teamwork, leadership, and navigation skills to explore an unknown area. While being outdoors can be challenging for many participants, the Journeys offer the chance to develop a resilient mindset, problem-solving skills, and the ability to show compassion and empathy to fellow group members. The experience of cooking, hiking, or even swimming, outdoors with a group of students you wouldn’t have otherwise spent time with is an experience like no other. Our locations for Adventurous Journeys this year included K’gari (Fraser Island), where we got to spend four days on the world’s largest sand island and in two incredible National Parks, D'Aguilar and Conondale, where we were able to see lot of different vegetation and spend nights stargazing.

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2022 | 115

Isabella Kim (10L) reflected on her Bronze Qualifying Journey to K’gari in April. She wrote: ‘From this trip, I learned that everyone at BGGS was ready to get involved and fully immerse themselves, even in the challenging and unfamiliar environment. Everyone was very confident and empowered, not feared to be judged, but instead wanted to have fun and be leaders. As a group, we developed a sense of teamwork, confidence, and resilience to successfully finish the journey.’ Isabella’s reflection captures the best parts of an Adventurous Journey. Despite how hard a Journey might seem at the time, we always come home with new stories to tell our friends and family, deeper friendships, and memories that we cherish. Participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award helps us to develop important life skills, particularly organisation and gratitude, and provides unique opportunities for us to extend and challenge ourselves, especially when we partake in Adventurous Journeys. The Award also encourages us to learn new skills, develop our current commitments, and acknowledge our participation in activities, both within the School, and in the wider community. Sophia Caposecco (11H), Vicki Chuang (11E) and Elizabeth Shoebridge (11B)—Duke of Edinburgh Award Student Leaders and Isabel Shorrock-Browne (12R)