FAQ

The supervisor and other adults will brief the group before the adventure – bivouac skills, orienteering, first aid, equipment needed. If you don’t have any equipment, or some of it, please contact the Award team so we can provide some.

Absolutely not – an adventurous journey is a group activity of 4-7 young people, supervised by a trained and certified adult, called a Supervisor. They have the responsibility to ensure that the group is both as independent and as safe as possible.

We recommend that you get to know the Leader as they are the closest person to your child in the Award. Collaboration between the Leader and parents would make the process of achieving the Award much more holistic and beneficial for the young person.

Assessors are the specialists in the field in which your child wants to develop. For example – if in the Volunteering section the participant wants to improve the garden on your street, it is good to have someone with experience in gardening as an Assessor. The assessor does not have to be actively involved in the activities themselves. In the example above, the selected Assessor can periodically review the progress, provide advice for improvement, and help with particular problems and cases that arise.

Leaders are the people your child will work most often with.. These are adults who have received Ministry of Education-recognised and internationally accredited training in working with young people. They will help the participant flesh out their interests and goals, work on them with drive, and can connect them with mentors.

The Award’s methodology is based on 60 years of international experience in working with young people. The Award’s philosophy and values put young people at the centre, allowing them to choose their own goals and interests. The Award’s Adult Leaders and Mentors act as a support in their individual pursuits and needs.

Working on several sections – skills, volunteering and physical recreation, young people should work regularly and responsibly on their goals with their mentors. Regardless of the specific goal chosen in each section, they will need to challenge themselves as the long commitment requires perseverance and drive.

As part of the Award, young people develop key skills such as perseverance, planning, goal setting and organisation so that they are ready to meet the challenges of the modern world. Young people’s efforts are recognised by an internationally recognised certificate, which gives them a competitive edge when applying for jobs or university.