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Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Celebrating Gold at St Peters
ANNE TETLEYJONES Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator With thousands of students throughout the state of Queensland signing up to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award each year, St Peters continues to play its part in supporting the Award and assisting students to achieve their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. With the passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh on the 9 April 2021, the Award community in Australia contemplated what impact this would have on participation and completion rates. As global economies grapple with fluctuating markets and employment markets become more stretched, St Peters students have understood the difference of achieving an Award can have on their future goals. Employers and universities alike are looking for points of difference—what makes one candidate stand out over another. Over the years as Duke of Ed Coordinator at the College, I have heard countless stories from parents who, in their roles in business, actively seek out those young people with a Duke of Ed Award, knowing that these young people are motivated, driven and can persevere to overcome barriers to success. In 2022, Year 9 students have accepted the challenge left by the Duke of Edinburgh, signing up for their Bronze Award in larger numbers than ever before. The Year 10 students have completed the Bronze started the year before and have moved on to Silver more quickly than in the past. Some have even moved onto their Gold Award, which is a phenomenal achievement. These students will no doubt make a difference in their worlds and sphere of influence. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award in Queensland. Operating under the Queensland Government since the beginning, the Duke of Ed Award has continued to provide young people with the opportunity to make a real difference to society through their positive involvement and contributions. St Peters has been delivering the Award since 1984. In that time, 28 participants have achieved their Gold Award. Some of these Old Scholars came together, along with members of the Senior Leadership, to acknowledge their achievements with the official unveiling of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Gold Award Honour Board (pictured above (L-R): Amelia Cronin (2015), Amy Gilmore (2015), Carys Hodgson (2015), Marita Moore (1985), Toby Pinker (2020) and current student, Gabby Neal). Marita (1985) acknowledged that having the Gold Award made a difference in her life. "It was probably one of the first real challenges I took on in life, but as it has turned out, it may in fact have been the catalyst for me to not shy away from challenges and try new and different things throughout my life! I thought I would gain confidence, meet new people and be exposed to some situations which would take me out of my comfort zone,” she explained. An initiative of the 2022 Duke of Ed Leaders Cherise Marks, Gabby Neal and Sophie Woodard, the Honour Board is a visible reminder to the College community of the significance of the achievement of a Gold Award. It will also be a motivator for other students to complete their own Gold to have their name added to the board.
Participants at St Peters
Silver Award Service
Year 10 student Alessandra Aaron chose to support a Queensland charity by donating hand-embroidered baby singlets for them to give to families in crisis. "I chose to support Baby Give Back for my Silver Duke of Ed Service because, as a young woman myself, I think that the giving of access to necessary supplies for mothers and babies in need is a fantastic cause to support and give back to. "It was wonderful to hand over the singlets to their team, because they showed me how they were going to distribute the singlets I had embroidered," said Alessandra.
Silver Award Adventurous Journey – Canoeing
Overcoming obstacles set by excessive rain in many catchments, a group of 16 very determined Silver Award participants worked together to complete the three days of canoeing on Moogerah Dam for their Adventurous Journey. Year 10 student, Georgia Burckhardt, completed the Practice Journey. “It was a lot of fun. There was a storm one night with hail, but it wasn’t too bad. I made new friends and really liked being with students I don’t normally get to spend time with.” Teammate Amelie Pesce, also really enjoyed the experience. “I thought we were going to be roughing it a bit more, but we were in tents and at a really good base camp. It was a lot of fun. It was a great way to spend holiday time with friends.”
Silver Award Adventurous Journey – Sailing
Silver participant Xavier Cowain (pictured above, bottom left), completed a six-day sail on the South Passage, from Cairns to Townsville for his Adventurous Journey. The South Passage is a dual masted schooner, holding up to 28 crew, and sails the coasts of eastern Australia. “This trip was both challenging and rewarding. I was quite nervous at first as I didn’t know anybody, or anything about sailing. Over the course of the trip, it also rained quite a bit, and there were rough winds and seas. It was this tough experience that brought all my crew mates closer. We are all great friends now because of those challenges. Overall, this was an amazing experience and something I will always remember.”
Bronze Award Service
Bronze participant Rose Jolly, completed all elements of her Award. “I enjoyed all of the Award. I think the part I liked the most was the Service. I really liked doing something without getting anything back. Volunteering at the Salvos was really good. I enjoyed that.”
