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Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award comes to ACU National
Students at Australian Catholic University (ACU National) will have the chance to try anything from jewellery making to trekking the Kokoda Trail as part of the newly introduced Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award.
Amy Campbell, an ACU National Bachelor of Psychology graduate, is currently completing the gold level.
“The Award is great because it offers a framework for you to focus your interests, learn, improve your abilities and do something you’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “Most importantly, it’s not a competition but rather a personal challenge, giving you the opportunity to work with others while focusing on your individual abilities.”
For her adventurous journey, Amy walked the Kokoda Trail, and for her residential project, she coordinated a holiday program for children affected by last year’s Victorian bushfires.
“Besides being a lot of fun, the Award says to prospective employers that you are a person with leadership qualities, integrity, a social conscience and a willingness to take on a challenge,” she said. “It can really give you that competitive edge when seeking employment.”
Taking part in the Award at ACU National is especially rewarding thanks to the wide range of community engagement projects students have access to through the Institute for Advancing Community Engagement.
In addition, if approved by their faculty, students can choose to use their community service experience with the Award to fulfill their community engagement requirements for their course.
There are five mandatory sections that participants must complete: fitness & physical recreation, skill, community engagement, adventurous journey and residential project. These provide opportunities for personal and social development in a fun and flexible framework. The Gold award must be completed before your 25th birthday.
“The basic idea of the Award is that it’s more about what you learn during the process rather than just the end result,” Amy said. “It lets you showcase your talents and skills, but what you ultimately gain from being involved is life experience.”
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