International Award Photography Competition

In July 2022, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation launched its first ever Global Photography Competition. After receiving more than 700 entries from over 50 countries, the panel of judges selected three winners and two special commendations.

We are thrilled to share that an entry from Harjeet, an Award Leader​ from ​India has received the special commendation!

Take a look at the winning entries here :
https://intaward.org/about/latest-news/international-award-photography-competition-winners-announced/

Congratulations to Harjeet and our entire Award Family!

Following is the photo submitted by Harjeet that has won special commendation at the Global Photography Competition : 

The Award in Action- Bronze Award Participant, Vidhi Agarwal from Vidya Devi Jindal School, Hisar

I am Vidhi Agarwal, a Bronze Award Participant from Vidya Devi Jindal School, Hisar and I visited the Town Park, Hisar for the Voluntary Service section of The Award Programme.

I participated in different activities and did social service by indulging with unprivileged children. I helped them to learn crafting of origami butterflies, prepared cards of different shapes and also highlighted how lack of hygiene could unleash various diseases and how those could be prevented via proper and effective measures. We also did many physical enrichment activities!

These activities helped the children to acquire new skills for life. I also distributed goodies which made the tiny tots cheerful. It is actually very true that "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
I developed a sense of empathy and understanding that will make this world a better place to be!

The Award in Action - Silver level Award Participants of Sri Sri Academy, Kolkata

 The Silver level Award Participants of Sri Sri Academy, Kolkata went to the Aravallis in Dhauj, Faridabad for an Adventurous Journey. Following is a writeup submitted to us by Kavya Gupta from 10-B, who is pursuing the Silver Level of the Award.

"We boarded the Duronto Express from Howrah at 8:35 a.m. on 14th October 2022 and divided ourselves into groups for assigning of cabins. The train journey consisted of lots of chitchats, games, and sightseeing outside the train window.
We reached Camp Wild Dhauj on 15th October in the morning (at about 8 am), after a bus ride from the New Delhi Station. We played team building games and divided ourselves into 4 groups or ‘ropes’. We had a brief know session and a bonfire at night.
We slept early to prepare for an early morning trek. The trek introduced us to thorny bushes, a scorching sun, and a beautiful view of a hidden lake for which we travelled around 5 km. We went back to the campsite through a tractor and got ready to zipline. We finished the day with dinner and a bonfire.
The next day and the day after encompassed rock climbing, rappelling, an obstacle course, and our last night at the camp. We prepared food in the evening ourselves, with one of us leading the whole process and teachers (Award Leaders) guiding us. We prepared paneer and aloo tikka, and saved some for later at the bonfire. We sat at the bonfire and reminisced about the whole trip, and what it taught us.
It was one of the first times we were in such an unfamiliar environment, and things like bathing in ice-cold water in the early mornings, or living with insects, rats, and lizards required some getting used to but we learnt to adjust and live with the basics. We were blessed with good food and friendly instructors who guided us at every step of the way.
On the 5th Day, we got ready early in the morning and visited a village near our camp site. The objective was to interact with the villagers to understand how they live their daily lives. We came to know about their language, their food habits, the problems that they face in everyday life, their festivals and recreation. We also visited a primary school to interact with the students there and spent the day with them.
On the 6th day, while coming back, we faced heavy traffic and stopped the bus to board the metro. We took 2 metros and got off at the New Delhi Station stop. From there, we each ran frantically with our luggage to the Railway Station. We were all tensed, nervous, and scared to miss our train but somehow we all made it just before the train departed.
The journey back to Kolkata was also memorable, and we all wished the trip would not end.
We all said our goodbyes on reaching back to Howrah Station, a place where we all once gathered excitedly to start our trips. This trip taught us a lot and gave us a lot of happy moments with our friends and teachers, becoming a memory to remember for a lifetime!"

- by Kavya Gupta,10-B, Sri Sri Academy, Kolkata

The Award in Action- Purkal Youth Development Society, Dehradun

The contribution of Award Participants from Purkal Youth Development Society, Dehradun towards a clean and better environment!



Taking a small step towards a cleaner environment and reaching out to community, Award Participants took the initiative to clean their surroundings on Sunday, 12th of February. Some individually and some in groups, Participants along with their family members participated in a Cleaning Drive in the surrounding area.

Participants staying in the hostel cleaned the dining hall, washing area, and the adjacent river of the school.

Award Participants successfully covered up the 11 different areas (Purkal, Jaspur, Panditwari, Shenshai Ashram, Rajpur, Rikholi and Kimadi Village among others).

I hope these young Award Participants and Achievers will come together in taking care of our community and take steps cautiously to create a beautiful world.


- by Manish Chandel,

Award Leader,

Purkal Youth Development Society,

Purkal, Dehradun

 

Adventure Journey with Visually Impaired Award Participants of SWB- Bronze & Silver Level at Matha Hill, West Bengal- 1st to 5th February, 2023

 

The Award in Action- Bawa Lalvani Public School, Kapurthala

 Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all!

The Adventure Expedition of The International Award for Young People had a profound impact on the students of Bawa Lalvani Public School who took part in it. The three-day journey was filled with physical and mental challenges, which helped the students to overcome their fears and develop a sense of adventure. The first day saw the students engaged in myriad activities like camping, go-kart racing, hanging & maneuvering, climb & jump and wheelbarrow traverse. The day commenced with some fun team building activities which were then followed by other more thrilling activities. Initially, fear and anxiety had gripped them and they were paid back in wounds and bruises for their physical labour. But eventually, they did overcome the challenges and accomplish the tasks. The second day of the journey unfolded with knee-top negotiation, crawl negotiation, pull-ups, sword assault and tree climbing. Being able to complete this too, the hearts of youngsters were filled with the exhilaration of victory. The day and the journey both concluded with a tree plantation activity. The joy of persistent attempts leading to accomplishments had been overwhelming for them in this journey. While the pupils were doing their tasks, the grips of many of them loosened. A lot of them tripped and fell too. But what kept them going was the will to finish what they had begun. In activities like climbing, hurdle races with vaulting horses and wheel drag, the students could feel surges of adrenaline in their bodies that filled them with a sense of adventure. These tasks not only aided them in overcoming their fears but also in discovering parts of themselves that they never knew had existed before. Detaching themselves from books and gadgets that had always been a strenuous task seemed accomplishable in the journey. However, one of the most enlightening aspects of the journey had been the tree plantation activity that the students undertook as a mechanism to create awareness among the locals about the environment. When they look back at the time that they spent at the camp, they feel elated. This journey has been one of the most enthralling experiences of their lives, offering them countless opportunities of newfound sense of self-realisation. They've started looking at obstacles and hurdles as stepping stones. In this way, the students have not only learnt but grown too, both individually and collectively. The moments that they spent with themselves and with each other in the journey during the team lunch and the life skills that they imbibed with every passing moment will forever remain etched in their memories.

The International Award for Young People has played an important role in making our students understand their responsibility towards society.

Thank you IAYP!

- by Dr. Ekta Dhawan
Principal
Bawa Lalvani Public School,
Kapurthala

The Award in Action - Manikya Rana, Bronze Award Participant, Dyal Singh Public School, Jagadhri

 

Under the Voluntary Service section of The International Award for Young People, I selected volunteer work in my city. I planted more than 100 plant saplings, participated in a river cleaning drive and was part of more service projects. It was an enthusiastic experience and I wish to take up similar tasks in the future as well! by Manikya Rana, Bronze Award Participant, Dyal Singh Public School, Jagadhri.

Watch Manikya's Award Journey and experience here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoH1MECDMYa/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

ORB Training at Samaritan Help Mission, Howrah, West Bengal

 

Award Orientation and Guidance at DPS Newtown, Kolkata

 

The Award in Action - Drishti Malhotra from Cambridge International School, Phagwara

 With a pleasant weather, November 2022 was a good month for an Adventurous Journey. A joyful trip full of new experiences, knowledge and learnings was organised by our school for Award Participants of The International Award for Young People, India!

Exams are often boring ; a trip and travel activity from the school was something that refreshed our minds. It was a 2 day trip to Rocksport, Rajpura. There is a lot to speak about this place. We reached Rajpura by noon and from the very moment, we
started living the adventurous life like never before!
Some activities that we were part of were – Wall Climbing, Poetry, Zip Line, Rifle Shooting, Tug of War, Treasure Hunt and many more. After we were done with our activities on the first day, we tightened up our shoes for the DJ and enjoyed warm bonfire with music.
At night, we slept in tents and had a morning call at 6:00 a.m. We took part in activities and were on the way back to our homes. If we talk about meals, they were hand-licking, and delicious and were provided to us in plenty of amount.

“Age is no barrier when it comes to travelling.”

There was a lot to learn from this place. We learned about different mountaineering / adventure gears that we should carry when going for real adventures. I also made new friends! A place where discipline and rules were something necessary with neat and tidy environment. The instructors there were very polite and friendly ; they supported us throughout. This all was nothing less than an enthusiastic trip. It was a moment which gave us the chance to spend time together with our peers and teachers. I thank my school and the whole IAYP team because of whom I got a chance to enroll myself in an adventurous activity like this!

- by Drishti Malhotra (X-A), Cambridge International School, Phagwara

The Award in Action - Adventurous Journey of Award Participants from Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior

Experience is the best teacher and nature gives the best experience!

Award Participants of Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior took to nature for hiking to many exciting spots in a short period of time, increasing hours spent on the trails.
These preliminary hikes were undertaken as a practice journey of The International Award for Young People.
In the month of December, SKVians experienced the worlds of Tapovan, Gwalior & the thickets of Kuno National Park. Award Participants explored every tiny learning opportunity through the dusty trails with Principal Mrs. Nishi Misra, identifying various aspects of forest growth and conservation.

It is believed that trekking is the finest approach to build your courage, accept the challenges, take in the scenery and breathe fresh air. The strongest bonds of boarding school are the unexpected lifelong experiences during trekking with friends and teachers.

The beauty of woods, covered with natural scented air and relishing snacks was all that we needed for our lifelong learnings.

We thank IAYP (The International Award for Young People, India) for encouraging our young trekkers to experience various adventure activities.

by Ms Suman Choudhary IAYP Award Coordinator Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior

Photos from our Virtual Award Leader Training- 18-20 January, 2023

 

With our Guest Speaker, Mr. K S Biradar, CEO for B S International Group of Schools, Bangalore

The Award in Action - Adventurous Journey at Oberoi International School - JVLR Campus, Jogeshwari East, Mumbai.

 The Phoenix has risen and finally landed!!

The first ever Adventurous Journey at OIS JVLR took place over the weekend of 2nd - 4th December, 2022. Award Participants themselves named the Adventurous Journey the ‘Rising of the Phoenix’ to recognise the first Adventurous Journey at the school since the pandemic.

All Award Participants had taken part in months of training and a very successful practice journey in November. We were supported by our activity partner, Jungle Lore, who had a set of experts and very experienced hikers. All hikes and camps took place in the Pune/Lonavala region. No two campsites were alike and as you can imagine the views were magnificent!

Award Leaders at the school were Lakmini Lee, Chris Lynn, Chandeen Santos, Pallavi Vartak, Antara Roy and Sneha Potnis. We collectively could not be prouder of our Award Participants pursuing The International Award for Young People.

A big shout out to our supportive parents and admin teams in helping organise these journeys.

The Award in Action- Bronze Award Participants from HAL New Public School, Bangalore

 "A clean person is not the one who runs away from the dirt but one who takes the time and effort to tidy-up a dirty environment"

The Bronze Award Participants of HAL New Public School, Bangalore conducted a Cleanliness Drive on 15.12.2022, at the HAL Vathsalya School for Special Education, Bangalore.

52 Award participants along with Award Leaders participated in the same. The objective of this drive was not just to clean but to share the feeling of happiness living in that environment. By cleaning the majority of ground covered with weeds, foliage and fungus, the students transformed it into a beautiful play area within a short span of time.

ARTIVITY DRIVE- “Art that is larger than Life”

Our students had a large display of more than 200 handprints of different colours imprinted on beautiful paper canvas. The need for the day is to be able to include differently abled children into our society and interacting with them is just one step closer to the idea.

The International Award for Young People participants had a euphoric moment of realization, with an amazing zest of emotional thread, intertwined while interacting with the students of HAL Vatsalya School for Special Education. They were radiating with enigmatic smiles, as they were seated beside each other in ripples of pragmatic aura. Our students had taken their time and efforts to pin their feelings down on a beautiful handmade card. They ended their interaction by sharing various lines of gratitude and deep insights of life lessons.

Above all they felt deeply indebted to the huge canopy of The International Award for Young People and their award leaders, who had extended their support and
contributed towards the successful completion of this milepost.