by Jennifer Martens, Duke of Ed Student Ambassador
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (Duke of Ed.) program encourages young people to connect with others, give back to their communities, engage in physical activities, and gain important life lessons. There are three tiers that students must complete if they wish to complete the Duke of Ed. program; Bronze, Silver and Gold. Throughout high school, students participate in the program to gain volunteer experience, new skills, participate in sports activities and go on an adventurous journey that challenges them to step outside of their comfort zone, while developing their expedition leadership skills. The Duke of Edinburgh program has allowed me to try new activities and meet new people and has enhanced my resiliency and collaboration skills. My Award journey has been an amazing, unforgettable experience!
On Thursday, June 9th Elmwood celebrated the achievements of this year’s Bronze (22), Silver (9) and Gold (1) Award recipients at the annual Duke of Edinburgh’s Award ceremony. It was a wonderful ceremony that featured the Award candidates speaking about the challenges and highlights that they faced while completing their unique expeditions, and acknowledgements of the efforts put forth by the Duke of Ed. Student Ambassadors. The candidates also formally received their well-earned pins and certificates. Following the ceremony, there was a reception in the atrium where the Award recipients and guests enjoyed delicious Duke of Ed. inspired bronze, silver and gold cupcakes! We are incredibly proud of this year’s Award recipients who successfully navigated their busy workload, and unprecedented restrictions, to complete the pillars of the international Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program. The full list or recipients is below.
Bronze Award Recipients
Elizabeth Chen-Baker
Ava Minnes
Astyn Farrell
Kay Walker
Mia Philipson
Khaliya Thawer
Sarah Di Silvestro
Simone Dubord
Eva Fata
Samaya Khosla
Sophia Walker
Chloe Danks
Nell Redstone
Hannah Vermeij
Sacha Coindre
Brooke MacInnis
Rowan Parkinson
Maddie Petit
Amy Zou
Kayla Shafai
Tina Zhang
Clarice Levison
Silver Award Recipients
Stella Fisher
Leia Fraser-Robinson
Maia Hembruff
Katelyn Lennox
Christina Nightingale
Zafreen Abdullah
Shelby McMahon
Olivia Howe
Hailey Kay
Gold Award Recipients
Avery Parkinson