19 February, Žďár nad Sázavou - Forty-eight young people received the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, DofE for short, on Wednesday 19 February in Žďár nad Sázavou. The non-formal education programme is for people aged 13 to 24. It has been running in the Czech Republic since 1995.
The awards were presented to the young people for bronze and silver level. Each participant in the programme chooses a skill, sport and volunteer activity according to their interest. They then dedicate themselves to these for several months. They must also complete a team expedition.
"DofE prepares young people for life and work. To find out for themselves what they enjoy in life, what fulfils them, what they are good at. To persevere and not be daunted by a future that is not very bright. To find a responsible and firm relationship with the community they live in and the society they shape," says Gabriela Drastichová, Director of the Czech office of the International Prize.
In the Vysočina Region, a total of 408 primary and secondary school pupils, members of sports clubs or children from children's homes were involved in the programme last year. In total, there are 16 DofE centres in the region.
"Every activity that young people do beyond their school duties is an invaluable contribution to their lives. It boosts their motivation, teaches them responsibility and the drive to improve and push themselves further. I congratulate all the winners and wish them much success in the future," said Pavel Franěk, Deputy Governor of the Vysočina Region for Education, to all the winners.
The DofE programme is a great motivator
David Tomek joined the DofE at the Secondary School of Industry in Žďár nad Sázavou. He improved his German language skills and discovered new exercises for plyometrics (training explosiveness and strength in sports), which now help him in basketball training. And in volunteering, he developed his experience working with children in sports training for volunteer firefighters.
"The DofE programme is a great motivation to start achieving various goals that we don't have as much time for as we would like in our everyday lives. Personally, I've learnt how to work with time."
David's DofE head Eva Jarošová Heroldová describes that the Žďár Secondary School of Industry got involved to offer its students not only quality education, but also the opportunity to develop in areas that interest them and will help them in the future.
"As a project leader, I have the opportunity to watch students develop, overcome challenges and discover their strengths and weaknesses. What it means for them to step out of their comfort zone, at least for a while. It's interesting to be a facilitator for them in setting goals and seeing them work towards them," she adds.
About the Duke of Edinburgh International Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award programme was founded by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1956 to encourage the self-development of boys and girls regardless of their background, physical ability or skill. The programme was brought to the Czech Republic by golf champion Luisa Abrahams. Last year, over 8,800 young people took part in the programme across the country in nearly four hundred DofE centres. Nearly 900 volunteer DofE leaders - teachers, preventers, educators or coaches - accompanied them at 381 DofE centres.
