Participant Resources
Welcome to the Participant Resource Portal. You can access information and resources to support you while working on your Award here. These resources will be updated regularly, be sure to check in for the most up-to-date materials.
The Award is open to all young people between 14 and 25 years old. The flexible and inclusive framework means it can be completed by anyone. Criteria for achieving an Award is based on persistence and individual improvement. Just as no two young people are the same, no two Award journeys are the same!
Together with your Award Leader you can build a qualifying program of activities that suits both your personal interests and capabilities. Open and frequent dialogue with your Award Leader will help ensure there are no barriers to accessing and completing the Award.
Find below everything you need to know to get started with your Award! Remember to reach out to your Award Leader if you have any questions or need assistance.
Planning Your Award Activities? Use these Resources:
On this platform you will find guidelines, resources, templates, outlines, best practices, examples and more to assist with successfully and safely completing each stage of the Adventurous Journey. If you need more support with your Adventurous Journey reach out to your Award Leader.
Refer to the quick links below for your every day Award needs.
Here are some of our frequently asked questions. Have a question thats not answered here? Contact us at support@dukeofed.org
You can find your Award Leaders’ contact information by logging into your Online Record Book. At the top of the screen, click on “My Award Leader”, and a pop-up will display your Award Leader’s email address and phone number.
An Assessor is an adult who is interested in helping mentor you as you work to complete your activity. Assessors should have experience in the activity you have chosen and offer support and guidance throughout the time you are doing your activity. They could be a teacher, coach, counsellor, neighbour, leader, family friend etc.
All Assessors are selected by the participant and must be approved by their Award Leader. Each activity needs a different Assessor. Family members do not qualify as Assessors.
Once you’ve completed a section, you can either download and print a summary of your activities for your Assessor to sign and then upload it to your documents OR you can send a digital report directly from the ORB to your Assessor’s email. If you have any issues contact your Award Leader.
No, you must focus on a single skill. The purpose of this section is to learn or enhance a skill- something that requires time and dedication to do. For this reason, you only work on one skill per award level. If you are unable to continue with your original skill, then you may switch to a new skill to finish out the remainder of your current Award level. This can only be utilized once per level. Please reach out to your Award Leader if you have any questions.
You may have 3 activities for Physical Recreation and Voluntary Service, just keep in mind that you will need an Assessor and an Assessor’s report for each activity.
If your current activity becomes unsuitable or difficult to complete you can speak with your Award Leader about choosing another activity. The time you spent on your previous activity will still count towards your Award.
For the Skills, Physical Recreation and Voluntary Service sections of the Award, you must undertake regular activity over a set period of time. On the Online Record Book, all logs are recorded in quarter, half and full hours. The general requirement for Skills, Physical Recreation and Voluntary Service is to undertake regular effort of one hour of activity per week or two hours per 2 weeks over the required time frame. You achieve your Award by being consistently active; working towards your goals for the set duration of weeks. You can choose to take longer than the minimum requirements but you cannot complete your Award in less time.
Yes, you can upload photographs, videos and scanned documents not bigger than 10 MB.
Completing your Award: Activity Ideas
Here you will find activity ideas and examples for each section of the Award. We hope it will inspire you to push your comfort zone! After choosing an activity don’t forget you will need to find an adult Assessor and set a SMART goal for each activity.
Learn more about what your community needs and give back. Choose a cause you are passionate about, find an appropriate Assessor and set your SMART goal.
- Community clean-ups
- Environmental & animal conservation projects
- Fundraising for charities or non-profits
- Mentoring, coaching or leading others
- Organizing or participating in food drives
- Organizing random acts of kindness in your community
- Supporting education or health programs
- Supporting or organizing a community service project
- Supporting people and populations in need
- Volunteering at a local food bank or shelter
- Volunteering for a non-profit organization
- Volunteering with a hospital, school, library, community centre or seniors home
- Volunteering through religious or cultural centre
- Volunteering with an Animal shelter
When deciding on what Skill you want to develop be sure to choose one activity, find an appropriate Assessor and set a realistic and challenging SMART goal. Your chosen Skill activity should be passive in nature rather than physically active.
- Art
- Coding/Programming
- Cooking/Baking
- Design
- Engineering
- Financial literacy
- First aid
- Foraging
- Learning a language
- Meditation & self reflection
- Music
- Photography
- Public Speaking
- Videography
- Wood working
- Writing
- Auto mechanics
- Leadership classes
- Gardening
- Knitting/sewing
- Business (Marketing or building one)
Decide on your activity, set your SMART goal and find an appropriate Assessor. The chosen activity must be physically challenging or demanding for you.
- Adventure sports
- Animal sports
- Cycling
- Dancing
- Fitness activities/challenges
- Martial arts
- Outdoor activities
- Running
- Water sports
- Winter sports
- Team sports
- Climbing
- Hiking
- Horseback riding
- Rock Climbing
- Skating
All Adventurous Journey are done with a team of peers. Plans should be discussed and approved by your Award Leader before undertaking your journey.
- Exploring historic land use
- Exploring human impact
- Exploring the natural world
- Canoe trip
- Cross-country skiing trip
- Cycling trip
- Hiking trip
- Kayaking trip
- Sailing trip
- Snowshoe trek
- Urban exploration
Undertake a shared purposeful activity away from home which provides opportunities for meeting new people and broadening your interests and experience. The activity must be purposeful and not be considered as a holiday. Remember to set your SMART goal, find an appropriate Assessor and get it approved by your Award Leader.
- Personal training courses
- Leadership training programs
- Youth parliament
- Attending or leading youth camps
- Outdoor Adventure trips
- Voluntary service trips
- Activity based courses
- Youth exchange programs
- Attending a conference/forum as a youth representative