By participating in the Duke Award, your child will develop skills and mindsets needed to become a confident and well-rounded adult. Skills that can open many doors in the job or training market include among others:

• Self-confidence
• Resilience and perseverance
• Working together in a team
• Dealing with feelings
• Problem-solving skills
• Adaptability and creativity

So support your child in participating in the Duke Award and invest in his or her future!

The expedition area is a special challenge for pupils. The aim is to let young people experience independence and self-efficacy in a team.

All participants plan an expedition (bronze level: 2 days/1 night in a tent, silver and gold 3 and 4 days respectively) in the surrounding area, carry it out and conclude it with a presentation.

The following rules apply:

• They are supported in the planning, preparation and implementation by a supervisor (usually a teacher).
• The young people’s planning is also checked by an assessor.
• If necessary, the supervisor accompanies the young people to their starting point. From there, the young people set off on their own. About every 1.5-3 hours, a meeting with the supervisor takes place at a so-called checkpoint to clarify any questions.
• The young people spend the night unsupervised in tents they have brought with them.
• The participants carry all their equipment on their own.
• They provide for themselves and cook dinner on a Trangia cooker.
• The handling of the equipment, especially the cooker, is rehearsed beforehand.
• Participants are allowed to have mobile phones with them, but these are in a sealed envelope and may only be used in an emergency, otherwise, the envelopes are to be kept sealed until the end of the expedition.
• An emergency phone is always on so that the group can be reached by the supervisor.
• Orientation and navigation are done with the help of analog maps.
• The supervisor is always available, even during the night. They spend the night near the young people, but not with them.
• The young people undertake the expedition on their own responsibility.
• Supervision is always based on the principle “as much as necessary, as little as possible”. If you have any questions about supervision, your child’s Award Leader will be happy to help.

Just as you support and guide your child in other areas of their life, they may need your support with the Duke Award. This could include encouraging them to keep their documentation up to date, offering rides to activities or to the expedition area and – depending on the possibility – providing financial support for expedition equipment.

Most importantly, be sure to celebrate all milestones with your child!

Tips for parents:

Help ensure that the activities your child chooses are exciting, but also doable.

• Documentation: Remind your child to document activities by making regular entries in the Online Record Book.
• Find an assessor: Each young person must find an assessor for each activity. The assessor can be anyone who has some knowledge of the chosen activity and is willing to supervise your child’s participation. It can be the gymnastics or sports teacher, the art teacher, the staff member of a club or voluntary organisation. However, it must not be a family member.
• Obtain an expert opinion: If your child is fairly advanced with his or her program, remind him or her to make sure that his or her evaluator(s) write their reports so that he or she can fully complete the Duke Award and receive the award.
• Using the Award: Make sure your child includes the award within their application materials.
• Volunteer: Perhaps you could consider volunteering at your child’s school? For example, you could support the groups on expeditions, raise funds to buy equipment or offer an activity, such as reading, going to the museum regularly or learning to play skat.