Connection in nature

Duke of Edinburgh Award

Strathcona are delivering yet another successful year of delivering the Duke of Edinburgh Award in 2023 with increasing numbers of completion and registering for the higher levels of the Award throughout the School.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s guiding principles have been established and have remained over the years to ensure a young person has a meaningful and purposeful journey through their award. Those guiding principles are encouraged at every step of the award from Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Students are empowered to achieve their personal best and take ownership of their goals and life choices and actively engage within their community.

The core sections of the Award are:

» Physical Recreation

» Skills

» Voluntary Service

» Adventurous Journey

Within the Gold Award, students also are required to complete an additional section called the Gold Residential Project. The time requirements that students commit to these sections increase as they move along the award and students are required to choose a ‘Major’ activity section that doubles the length of time required to pass the level. This Major activity is for students to show a deep commitment, too. In Bronze, it is a 13 hour time requirement, Silver 26 hours and Gold 52 hours.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award Leader is stepping up the standard of activities and goals now that we are back delivering the Award after the disruptions of COVID-19. We are increasing the connection between students, Strathcona and the community through the Award. Each section of the Award has an element of connection: tuning in to their physical health or community sport within the Physical Recreation section; connecting to a new passion like cookery, crafting or learning a new language to connect with the wider world; or connecting with the wider community by providing a service and volunteering their personal time.

During the adventurous journey, connection is at the core. Connection to themselves, their peers, and the environment. All of which can present in many different ways while on the journey. The way a student develops a relationship with the environment they are in does not always end in a positive relationship, sometimes the weather has different plans. Although the weather plays a big part in the attitudes and experiences of the students, they still approach the journey in a positive way. They use the support systems of the other students and staff that attend to get through the program and get the most out of the journey.

So far in 2023, our Year 7 students have embarked on a newly developed program with the Outdoor Education Group aimed as an introduction to Outdoor Education. They participated in a wide range of activities such as rafting, canoeing, bushwalking, cycling and facilitated games and initiatives. Exposing students to such a wide range of activities so early in their senior schooling is to create the glue to connect the cohort community and prepare them for the future programs offered at Strathcona.

Increasing the students’ comfort zone not only prepares them for outdoor education-based activities, but also for beyond their schooling. They are adapting to dynamic situations, gaining problem-solving skills and are challenged in a safe and empowering setting, to develop and support the type of young person Strathcona want to foster.

The Year 6’s have ventured back to Canberra for the first time since 2019, which exposed students to the Civics and Civilisation of Australia’s democracy history — past and present. Year 5 students had their first overnight program in Mornington as another introductory camp to increase their Outdoor Education experience and emotional resilience.

Coming up for the rest of 2023, Strathcona’s Junior School programs kick off in Terms 3 and 4, with a range of environments and activities across Victoria.

Our Year 8 students will head off on their 5-day Grampians program, which incorporates cycling, bushwalking and some classic camp activities.

Year 9 will embark on their hallmark Camp to Campus journey with students traveling from Mt Donna Buang in Warburton, following the course of the Yarra River all the way to their Year 9 campus, Tay Creggan.

Year 10 will get the opportunity to choose from a range of outdoor education programs this year. A cross-country skiing and mountain biking program in Falls Creek/Bright, an East Coast Tasmania journey, a rock climb and bushwalking trip in the Grampians/Arapiles or an outdoor lifestyle wellbeing-focused program in Mornington.

TONI BLACK Outdoor Education Program and Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator