FAQs
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- Can I do my service at different community organisations or do I need to stay with only one?
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If the service is the same type (eg. Fundraising), then several organisations may be used. If the service is different (eg. Marketing, admin) then changing organisations won’t be acceptable.
- Can I change my service activity (Eg. can I do aged care for several months and volunteer in another area, like environment or tutoring?)
In extreme cases we will allow this. One of the aspects of doing your Award is to pick an activity which you are able to do for the minimum time required. By staying with the one activity you show that you are committed to the activity and can persevere with it – qualities that help you as a person and also ones that employers like to see.
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- What’s a qualifying journey?
A qualifying Journey is the last Journey that you will need to do for the level. Once your Assessor agrees that you are ready for a final journey (after a practice journey) by being able to show enough knowledge to have a greater role with planning and preparation for the journey you will be able to do this. It needs to be the same type of journey as the practice.
- Can I volunteer for more than one organisation for the service section?
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Yes, if the activity is the same eg Fundraising.
- Can I do more than one Physical Recreation activity?
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If the Activity is seasonal you may (eg football and cricket). Otherwise no.
- How will you know if I’m actually participating in the activities?
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Your assessor will write a report in your book. We audit the books, through contacting the Assessors, Operators and Participants to ensure quality of your Award. What you get out of The Award is what you put in. You will receive a greater benefit by being honest to yourself about what you do.
- Can part-time students also apply to the program?
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Yes, of course.
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- Do you monitor or supervise us?
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No we don’t.
- Do I need to set goals for each section or is it just enough for me to record the hours that I actually participate in the activity?
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The Award is about personal challenge. If you don’t have a goal it is harder to focus on the challenge. The Assessor should be mentioning how you have tried to achieve the goal.
- 46. Can I do more than the required hours in a particular section, (for eg. 4 hours per week instead of the required 2 for the Award)?
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The time requirements for The Award are minimums only. It is perfectly acceptable to do more.
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- Do I have to complete all the sections of the Award in 18 months?
You have until your 25th birthday to complete The Award, 18 months is the minimum time it will take you to complete Gold if you haven’t achieved the Silver level.
- Do I have to do all the sections at the same time (concurrently), or can I choose to do one section at a time?
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No, you don’t have to do all the sections concurrently, you may spread them out according to your other commitments and how long you have until your 25th birthday.
- How do I approach someone and ask them to be my assessor?
Communication and negotiation are an important part of what you learn through The Award, and are important skills to develop for your future life. There are perforated letters in every Section of your Record book, to be given to your Assessor for that Section. These letters outline the role and responsibilities as an Assessor, you may use these letters when you approach the Assessor.
- 54. What’s the assessor’s role?
An Assessor is an adult mentor who is experienced and/or qualified in the area of your activity. You will need at least one Assessor for each Section of your Duke of Ed, and sometimes may require multiple Assessors for some Sections. Assessors will help you set your goals and offer guidance to you during the course of your Duke of Ed. When you have completed an Activity, they will assess your progress and will complete a final report.
- What do I get after I have completed the Award?
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Once your Award has been finally Assesssed by our office, a certificate and badge will be sent to you. For a Gold Awardee, the certificate will be presented at a special ceremony that is held twice a year.
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- What if I go overseas, will I need to find an assessor in the country which I’m going to?
- This depends on how long you’re going for. If it is a short term trip and you are just planning to continue your activities whilst you are there, you do not need to find another Assessor (you could just come back and report to your Assessor here). If you are going for a longer duration and are planning on undertaking most or all of your activity whilst you’re overseas, then, yes, you will need to find an Assessor in the country you’re going to.
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- What have some other students done for their adventurous journey?
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Bushwalking, Horse-riding, Sailing, Motorbike Riding, Four Wheel driving, Canoeing. More examples are on the website: www.dukeofed.org.au
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- What if I go overseas, will I need to find an assessor in the country which I’m going to?
- This depends on how long you’re going for. If it is a short term trip and you are just planning to continue your activities whilst you are there, you do not need to find another Assessor (you could just come back and report to your Assessor here). If you are going for a longer duration and are planning on undertaking most or all of your activity whilst you’re overseas, then, yes, you will need to find an Assessor in the country you’re going to.
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- Why do you recommend that I do the Gold Award and not the Silver or Bronze?
- Given that you are at University and have fewer years to complete your Award, we make this recommendation. The shortest amount of time to do your Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards is two and a half years. To just do your Gold is 18 months.
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- What is the $75 payment for? And, does any part of this money go towards supporting any community or charity organisation?
- The $75 is a fee to do your Award. The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is a registered charity as well as a non profit organisation. There are many costs in delivering the program, which include materials, staff, insurance, fees payable to our National Body. In order to provide support, materials and a program it is necessary for The Award to charge a fee.
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- Does the Duke of Edinburgh’s office support any group/s in the community?
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The Award will support other non-profit/community groups in terms of publicising them as examples of activities that participants can use and become involved with. As we are non-profit, we are unable to financially support other organisations. All community groups that Participants are involved with receive a benefit of assistance (non financial) through the Participant.
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- I started the Bronze Award at high school but never got around to finishing it. Can I finish it whilst I am at uni?
- Yes you can finish your Award provided you can complete the requirements by your 25th birthday. See your Coordinators to have your registration records changed to note that you are now at uni. You will be assessed according to the requirements in your book (which may be different to the current requirements), once you fulfil those you may submit your book for approval.