Prince Phillip founded the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme in 1956. He was a pioneer of informal, creative learning, and constantly championed the infinite potential of young people! Our courses here at Be-Zing are great for teaching the practical skills needed to pass your DofE, and range from cooking to growing flowers. These courses have several benefits, and knowing how to cook a nutritious meal or plant a flower is an important skill you’ll always have, and will certainly be useful for the transition from home life either to University or working life! Likewise, the courses we offer have other benefits you might not really notice at first, but will come in equally as handy while you navigate the twists, turns and obstacles that your youth has to offer. We’ve collated a few of the less obvious DofE skills you might find yourself developing whilst partaking in our courses!
Self Belief
One of the most important skills that we hope young people take on board during Be-Zing’s Duke of Edinburgh courses is self-belief. Self-belief can have many different meanings but maybe the most simple way to define it is having confidence in your own ability to overcome obstacles and solve problems. Our carefully structured courses will challenge you, but will never give you an obstacle that’s impossible to overcome. There’s no better way to improve your self-belief than leaping into something difficult and emerging victorious! You’ll face obstacles throughout your entire life and your chances of beating them are so much higher when you are able to put some trust in yourself and your abilities!
Responsibility
Although responsibility is something which is vital throughout your whole life, many young people aren’t given enough opportunities to practice responsibility, and often aren’t trusted to do so. Our DofE activities present you with a variety of opportunities to exhibit your responsibility, whether it is taking responsibility of yourself, others, or for part of a larger project. Responsibility encompasses a range of things, whether it’s managing your time efficiently, navigating through the wilderness by yourself, or even if it’s just waking up early to ensure you can complete your daily tasks. Here at BeZing there is no shortage of opportunities to exercise responsibility, and you’ll find that many of our courses encourage you to take responsibility for your own wellbeing and personal achievements. Once you realise how great it feels to be successful once you put your mind to something, there’ll be no stopping you!
Problem Solving
Unfortunately, it is inevitable that you’ll face problems in life, especially once you reach your later teenage and early adult years. During the next period of your life, it might seem like there’s always a bigger problem to worry about, whether its personal statements, exams, or even deciding what you want to do once you’ve finished your school years. To ensure these problems don’t seem as intimidating, it is crucial to equip yourself with the necessary skills to handle unexpected situations or new challenges! Problem-solving is such a broad skill, and as you work your way through our courses, it is likely you’ll take different skills on board subconsciously – such as being able to make quick decisions, creating different plans for activities, or being able to think outside the box. Whether these skills are things you practice in your everyday life or are completely new, they are all essential for completing your DofE award, and will continue to help you during your journey into young adulthood.
Teamwork & Leadership
Teamwork and Leadership go hand in hand. Every team needs a good leader and for a leader to do a good job, everybody needs to be able to work as a team. Any time you’re not working autonomously, there is always a form of teamwork involved, whether its delegating tasks to individuals based on their strengths, or simply having honest, open conversations with each other to ensure the work is finished to a high standard. Many people discover they are natural leaders, and enjoy taking on leadership roles within group projects, and our DofE courses are a great way to find where you fit into a team! These DofE courses are an excellent way to exercise team skills, and not only make self improvements, but encourage those around you to excel!
Independence & Goal Setting
Many young people often find that the DofE experience offers them a lot more freedom and different learning styles than they’re previously used to. Some mind find these learning styles difficult at first, as everything isn’t always laid out for you in the way school learning often is. Independent learning means that you have to take responsibility for what, how and when you’re going to learn new things. This responsibility also means that you’ll come to understand that your achievements are the product of your effort – if you set yourself an easy goal which requires little-to-no work, your accomplishment won’t be as big! The ability to set realistic, attainable goals is a crucial skill to have – the feeling of putting your mind to something and succeeding is incredible, and will only motivate you to continue your learning, especially if you’ve been solely responsible for your success!
Crucially, the courses and activities within the DofE award aren’t just about learning the skills themselves. The courses are created to help inspire self-confidence and to recognise your ability to exercise your creative freedom and help foster your unique skills! It’s about putting your own spin on your tasks, and developing internal, personal skills that you might not have known you possess! Be-Zing and the DofE award scheme work towards aligning your body and mind, and helping you to surpass personal expectations, whilst navigating the obstacles and fun that your later teenage years have to offer!
