2020 School Magazine

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD

T he Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a self-development program available to young people from age 14 to 24. More than 130 countries have adopted the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Program and more than eight million young people have participated worldwide. The Award consists of three levels: Bronze; Silver; and Gold. To achieve an Award, each young person must learn a skill, improve their physical wellbeing, volunteer in their community and adventure into a new environment. There are countless options under each category which gives participants the chance to select activities they are interested in. Examples for physical recreation include basketball, swimming and fencing; skills include a musical instrument, baking and gardening; and service participation includes tutoring, helping out at a not-for-profit organisation and joining a school Service group. The Adventurous Journey component of the Award provides an opportunity for participants to challenge themselves and learn more about the environment. It also enables the development of participants’ self-confidence and teamwork skills. This year, students completing their Bronze Award attended Adventurous Journeys held at Marrapatta and surrounding bushland. The Silver and Gold Journey to Fraser Island in September. Overall, there are many benefits to participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Program. The Award provides an incredible opportunity for young people to develop essential life skills, increase their employability and get recognition and new motivation for activities they already participate in. Abigail King (11R) T his year, the Year 10 Economics cohort had the privilege of competing in the Ecoman competition embedded in the curriculum. The competition provides students with an exciting way to learn about the relationship between businesses and the economy. The premise of Ecoman is to formulate business decisions based on a business financial situation and macro-economic indicators. Students were placed into teams and each student was given a managerial position within the hypothetical company. These roles were Sales Director, Production Director, Finance Director, Personnel Director, and Managing Director. After working on the competition in class over a four-week period, the team who produced the highest share price based on their decisions across four ‘business’ years, won the competition. Due to the current state of Australia’s economy, Ecoman highlighted the importance of knowing how to generate and base business decisions on the performance of the economy. This experience was very rewarding. We were challenged to use our acquired economic knowledge in real-world situations. Emma Armitage-Ho (10R) ECOMAN

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