6 February, Ústí nad Labem - One hundred and eight young people received the Duke of Edinburgh International Award, DofE for short, at the regional office of the Ústí Region on Thursday 6 January. The non-formal education programme is for people aged 13 to 24. It has been running in the Czech Republic since 1995.
In Ústí, young people received awards 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.
Last year 510 young people from the Ústí nad Labem Region joined the DofE
Last year, a total of 510 primary and secondary school pupils, members of sports clubs or children from children's homes were involved in the programme in the Ústí nad Labem Region. In total, there are 28 DofE centres in the Ústí nad Labem Region - primary and secondary schools and leisure centres.
Pavla Malchusová from Gymnasium Ústí nad Labem, Jateční also received a certificate and a badge for the bronze level. In the movement she focused on doing fifteen push-ups. In skills, she crocheted a scarf and volunteered to create crocheted animals for the children's ward of the hospital. "The DofE has helped me to organise my time better and get back into the gym again. I signed up because by setting clear goals I wanted to strengthen my discipline."
At the Ústí Gymnasium Pavla joined the programme under the guidance of Zdeňka Neubauerová. "I see great benefits in DofE - it develops perseverance, social commitment, cooperation, empathy and confidence in one's own abilities. It's great that each participant can set their own individual goals. The DofE programme also makes volunteering at our school more systematic and long-term. Many of the participants continue to volunteer after their participation in the DofE and I am very happy about that."
About the Duke of Edinburgh International Award (DofE)
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.
