Seven students from Ron Dearing UTC are working towards their bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award, learning new skills, volunteering and building on their physical wellbeing.
The programme aims to empower young people aged 14 to 24 while building confidence and resilience and the programme sees hundreds of thousands take part every year.
The Ron Dearing students are completing the volunteering, wellbeing and new skills elements of the internationally-recognised programme as they prepare for a two-day expedition, which will see them trek for two days and camp overnight in September or October.
While the dates and location have yet to be confirmed, the students and staff have completed practice cookery lessons, learnt how to read maps and use compasses, and completed a nine-mile training walk in Welton and Brantingham, East Yorkshire, to prepare for the challenge.
Jason White, Head of Computing at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “The DofE programme is designed to challenge young people to attain standards of achievement and participate in a wide variety of active interests, to serve their communities, experience adventure and develop and learn outside the classroom.
“It is widely endorsed by UK businesses for bringing skills and attributes such as resilience, commitment, self-motivation and teamwork to the workplace, which prepares them brilliantly for whatever they choose to do when they leave the UTC.
“The students have done really well so far and supported each other. By doing this, it shows they have done something above and beyond their studies and demonstrates they have pushed themselves.”
Ron Dearing UTC plans to encourage more students to join the programme on an annual basis and will open up the opportunity to others from September.
Year 12 student Olesia Khrypunova, 16, is among those completing the bronze award.
Olesia said: “The DofE is a great new experience to learn new skills, test myself and be more active.
“One of my physical tasks is to play more tennis, so I’ve taken up lessons once a week and I’m going to continue those over the next six months.
“I’m reading more, I’ve learnt how to read maps and coordinates, how to prepare and follow route cards, and completed a five-hour hike.
“I’m really enjoying it, I’m looking forward to the expedition and we’re working well together as a group. We’ll learn how to set up a tent and first aid skills, which will be very useful in life.”