DOHA: A total of 115 students who volunteered in Nepal and Vietnam, climbed mountains and visited iconic desert sites received their Duke of Edinburgh awards at a ceremony at the Doha College Al Waab campus recently.
The Duke of Edinburgh International Awards is a non-competitive programme in which students set goals according to the level of award they want to achieve. The levels — Gold, Silver, and Bronze — vary in complexity and can take up to a year to complete.
In Doha College it is run by teachers Brian Kerr and Myra Croker.
Kerr said this year six students received Gold, 45 Silver and 64 Bronze awards in recognition of their dedication and efforts.
“The Duke of Edinburgh International Award offers students the chance to set their own goals for community service, skills, fitness, and adventure,” Kerr said.
“It’s a great way to encourage them to explore new interests and try new challenges,” he said.
“It is a very popular programme at Doha College — this year we have 222 students enrolled in all three categories.
“Those that received their certificates are those that have completed their levels. The six students who completed the Gold Award are now entitled to attend an investiture ceremony attended by a member of the British Royal Family at St James’s Palace in London.”
This year, students undertaking the Bronze certificate went to Bir Zekreet, Doha, Silver to Nepal and Gold to Snowdon, Wales.
Participants can expect to spend at least six months completing the Bronze level, and a year or more on Silver or Gold, depending on whether they register as a direct entry or continue from one level to the next.
Kerr said the International Award took students — and staff — beyond their “comfort zones”.
“The International Award was started by Principal Mark Leppard MBE in 1998 with just 20 students,” he said.
“They went on their first expedition to Oman, where Mark reports that he lost all 20 of them on the first night,” he said.
“This year our biggest ‘adventure’ was getting stuck for an extra two days in Nepal when the aeroplane got stuck on the runway in Kathmandu airport.”
Kerr said students achieve their goals through extra curricular activities such as Mathematics mentoring, Model United Nations, debating, language mentoring, music clubs, PE and sports coaching with Evolution Sports.
THE PENINSULA
