Category: Life After the Award

From Struggle to Strength: Kyle Payne’s Story

By Maya Victoria Rojas/em>
Feature photograph: Courtesy of Kyle Payne

Kyle Payne completed all three levels of the Award through his cadet unit in Lindsay, Ontario and since then, he continues to give back to the community through volunteering. A part-time reservist with the Canadian Armed Forces and a full-time municipal law enforcement in Peterborough, he also volunteers with St. John’s Ambulance as a medical first-aid responder and conducts simulation trainings with his colleagues.

Join me in making a difference

Dear fellow Award Holders,

I hope this message finds you well and filled with the same passion for the Award that has brought us all together. As Youth and Alumni Director-at-Large, I’m thrilled to invite you to a special event that aligns perfectly with the values we hold dear – a Shoreline Cleanup!

Event Details: Saturday, October 21st, 2023

Time: 9:30 AM EST

Location: Sugar Beach, Toronto Ontario

Why Join the Shoreline Cleanup?

Protecting Our Oceans: Our oceans are not just beautiful; they’re vital to our planet’s health. By participating in this cleanup, you’ll directly contribute to preserving marine life and the well-being of our oceans.

Giving Back: As Award Holders, we’ve learned the importance of service to others and our environment. This cleanup is an opportunity to put those values into action.

Join Us as Part of Award Awareness Week!

This event holds a special place during Award Awareness Week, a time when we come together to celebrate the impact and spirit of the Award. I’m excited to announce that on Saturday, October 21st, we’ll be gathering at Sugar Beach located in Downtown Toronto, Ontario for this meaningful cleanup. To be part of this impactful event, please register here.

This cleanup is about more than just picking up trash; it’s about being stewards of our environment and making a real difference. Your presence and commitment would mean the world to us.

If you can’t make it, I invite you to consider leading your own cleanup in your community using Award Canada’s Shoreline Cleanup toolkit! Invite friends, family and other Award Holders you may be connected with, to join you in an impactful community service. Lead by example and together as Award Holders we can create a cleaner and healthier environment.

The Award has shaped us into leaders and change-makers, and now, we have the opportunity to continue living the ethos of the Award.

I look forward to seeing you there and sharing this incredible experience as we make a positive impact on our planet.

With enthusiasm and gratitude,

Alexander Li

Youth and Alumni Director-at-Large

Canadian Award Holder- Amy Skinner

“As a proud recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards, I am grateful for the way the Award has impacted my life. When I started my Bronze Award in 2015 I could have never imagined how it would impact the trajectory of my life and my goals. The Award was first introduced to my entire ninth grade as my middle school principal had been active with the Award for years. Being a go-getter, I began my Bronze Award as a resumé booster thinking that it would not hurt to complete my Bronze Award and determine whether to continue upon finishing the first Award. From my Bronze Award, my Adventurous Journey was the highlight as I got to take part in a Westcoast Sailing Trip with my classmates where we lived on a tall ship for a week. On this journey I was able to not only have fun, but experience life aboard a tall ship at sea.  

 

As an avid volunteer at my church in children’s ministry, I was deeply involved in my community and loved how the Award recognized this. The way the Award fit into my lifestyle, recognizing the ways I was already contributing to my community and personal development, was ideal. Throughout my entire Award journey, I continued to volunteer in children’s ministry where I am now the Children’s Pastor.  

 

It was not until 2019 where the Award really impacted my views of community through giving the opportunity to attend Passion to Purpose Acadia alongside 100 other young leaders from across Canada. Passion to Purpose introduced me to community investment from a non-profit perspective by teaching us about grants, community projects and providing funding for our own projects. From this I found my passion for non-profit work by designing and executing my Summer Camp In A Box project for Kids Cancer Care Alberta for the past two years.  

 

It was incredible to use the skills I had gained at the Passion to Purpose Forum and Bootcamp to create my own community project and see it through from the beginning to the end. Going forward, I am pursuing a Master of Philanthropy and Non-profit Leadership degree with the hopes of continuing to invest in the lives of children and families. I have already been doing this through my volunteer work in ministry and the non-profit sector but knowing that I enjoy the many facets of non-profit leadership and philanthropy from the Award gives me confidence that I will fit well in the sector. 

 

Through my Gold Award experience, I have made lifelong friends, gained skills that will set the foundations of my career and developed resiliency. I am grateful for the friendships and professional relationships the Award has given me. Most of all, I am very grateful for my principal for introducing the Award to all the grade nines in middle school because it has given me opportunities that I would have never thought possible. I have had so many amazing experiences while completing each of my Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards. I have made lifelong friends, travelled, and gained skills that will set the foundations of my career.” 

 

 

Canadian Award Holders- Michelle Lee

Michelle started her Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award journey in Grade 10, as part of the Trek Outdoor Education program at the Prince of Wales Secondary School. She completed the Silver Award by the time she graduated high school. She chose to pursue the Award because of the diversity the program entails.  

 

Michelle is the Founder and President of Synergon Strategy Inc, is a certified Project Management Professional with the Project Management Institute, an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation as well as a Master level Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner. 

 

 She has over 20 years of experience in both public and private sectors working on major capital projects, ERP systems implementation, high performance team development, along with organizations integrations associated with mergers and acquisitions.  

 

She has developed proprietary coaching programs to support high performance development and has coached clients from various industries domestically in Canada and in the US. She has supported her clients in personal and professional transformation through increasing self awareness and better relationships with themselves. 

 

Completing the Award has allowed Michelle to recognize the power that dedication and commitment have on achieving great things both personally and professionally. 

 

 

 

 

Quote for social media: “Completing the Award has allowed Michelle to recognize the power that dedication and commitment have on achieving great things both personally and professionally”.