Adults play an important role in guiding and supporting participants as they engage in Award activities. They provide mentorship, assistance in choosing activities, setting goals, help participants navigate challenges and obstacles along their journey, and/or be Assessors.

As long as participants’ activities have these 7 elements, they can count towards the Award – including effort during school hours and linked to school curriculum.

Click here to review the 7 Elements of the Award Canada Way.

Even without dedicated time in the school schedule, you can support participants by integrating Award activities into existing school routines and extracurricular activities. Encourage students to choose activities that can be done during classes, lunch breaks, after school clubs, or as part of their projects or homework assignments. Regularly check in with them during free periods, office hours, or via school communication platforms to monitor their progress.

Check out our Best Practices for more information and guidance on how teachers, both those with and without dedicated Award time, can utilize school activities.

You can empower participants by identifying their strengths and interests by asking them about their spark and what energizes them. You can introduce them to other participants who share their passions, believe in them even when they may doubt themselves, and help them figure out the next steps in pursuing their goals.

Focus on providing guidance and support rather than imposing strict rules or limitations. Find out what they’re passionate about and things that they’re already doing in their own time they might already be doing the Award, they just don’t know it (ensuring the activities still follow the 7 elements).

Based on research, here are some actions adults can take to support youth in making the most of their talents, interests, and sparks:

1. Ask About Interests: Engage them by asking about their passions and perspectives on issues in your community, Canada, and the world. Listen to their thoughts before offering your perspective.
2. Connect with Others: Introduce them to individuals who share their interests or concerns. If they are deeply concerned about the water quality in the local river, introduce them to someone you know with influence or expertise. If they love to play the saxophone, introduce them to someone in the school band.
3. Guide Next Steps: They may not know what to do next to voice their concerns, nurture their spark, or find an school or after-school opportunity that they would really enjoy.
4. Empower Youth in Schools: Encourage young people to do activities related to their sparks and interests. Tap their creativity, gifts, leadership, and commitments to strengthen the school, knowing that young people who are actively pursuing their sparks and who feel they have a voice in their school are more likely to be engaged and do well academically.
5. Overcome Obstacles: Find out what gets in their way when they’re stuck. Listen and help them figure out ways around the problem.
6. Respect Their Path: Don’t impose your ideas on them. They may be on a different path than you might have expected—or hoped for. Listen to them and ask them questions.
7. Encourage Leadership: Tap into teens’ strengths by involving them as volunteers and leaders in the school or community. Recognize the ways they can contribute now. Particularly try to find opportunities to engage them as leaders and contributors that tap their interests, concerns, and skills. They’ll do a better job, be more invested, and grow more in the process.
8. Introduce New Interests: Introduce them to new interests and issues. Expanding their horizons is an important part of helping them be well-rounded. And having multiple talents and interests is better than having one.
9. Prioritize and Focus: Help teens manage their interests and commitments to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes they can get caught up in trying so many things or tackling so many issues that they get overwhelmed or discouraged. Learning to make choices and focus is an important life skill.
10. Offer Continuous Support: Be there for teens every step of the way as they discover their passions and find their voice. As you build your relationship with teens, encourage them as they grow and develop, celebrating the successes and fulfillment that come as they find their own voice and passions on their journey into adulthood

When youth are uncertain about their interests or passions, mentors can offer invaluable support by encouraging exploration of various activities and hobbies, asking thoughtful questions to prompt self-reflection, providing guidance based on their own experiences, referencing the Activity Zone, creating a safe space for open dialogue, and encouraging them to embrace challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth. By guiding youth through this process, mentors help them gain clarity, develop a sense of identity, and ultimately pursue paths that align with their interests and passions.

• To incorporate Award activities into the school curriculum, start by identifying activities that align with educational goals and Award outcomes. Then, collaborate with educators or teachers to integrate these activities.
• If a student comes to you with an idea and it doesn’t initially fit the Award criteria, work with the student to adjust it so it aligns with your curriculum, their interests, and the goals of the Award. This flexibility helps empower students to shape their own unique Award experience while still meeting the program’s requirements.
• Emphasize the benefits of the Award for students’ personal growth and development and provide educators with support to facilitate these activities effectively. Encourage open communication and flexibility to ensure that students can participate in activities that interest them and contribute to their overall learning experience.
• Check out our Best Practices to access instructions on how teachers, both those with and without dedicated Award time, can utilize school activities.

• Regularly highlight the importance and benefits of the Award during school announcements, assemblies, emails, or newsletters.
• Recognize and celebrate participants’ achievements in school events or bulletin boards.
• Provide a variety of activity options that can be easily incorporated into their school day, making it convenient for them to stay engaged.
• Send bi-weekly or monthly email reminders to prompt participants to log their activities, emphasizing that logging doesn’t need to take long—just a couple minutes once a week.
• Promote a culture where participants work on the Award together, rather than individually. Suggest activities they can do together at school, after school, during clubs, etc., i.e. running together after school on Thursdays.
• Giving check-ins a purpose with clear timelines and targets throughout the year improves participant engagement, keeping interactions fun and easy. Support participants by regularly addressing the Award at lunch, via emails, group chats, free periods, or one-on-one meetings. Weekly office hours are recommended if possible. Choose the best approach for your Centre.

View our Best Practices for more tips.