Duke's award recognizes personal challenges
Phil Duffy
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 04/01) - There was plenty of strife and unrest in the war-torn neighbourhoods of London following the Second World War. This is when Prince Phillip observed the need for youth to re-develop a sense of responsibility to themselves and to their community.
As a direct result of this observation the Duke of Edinburgh's Award was founded in 1956, and today it has more than 3.5 million young participants.
Joanne Rozestraten is a field officer for the award program and is on a mission to increase public awareness of it in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
"Basically, there are a number of people participating in the program in the NWT and Nunavut right now, but what the organization is trying to achieve is to inform more people about the program," said Rozestraten.
This is one of the reasons behind the Young Canadians Challenge by the award program.
"When we have educated more people in the North as to what the program entails, we will see more youths motivated to participate."
The program welcomes all people between the ages of 14 and 25 to participate regardless of their circumstances or abilities. The program is designed to promote self-discipline, enterprise, perseverance, and community responsibility.
Unlike a competition, the criteria for achieving a Duke of Edinburgh Award is based on individual effort and improvement.
To achieve an award the participant must complete four sections including service, skills, physical fitness and expeditions.
There are three levels to the award program: bronze, silver and gold.
Each level requires an increasing degree of commitment.
There is an information meeting being organized for participants in the meeting room of the Yellowknife Public Library between 7 and 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 10.
