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Leading the way
The International Award scheme offers more than just trips out of town
Photos courtesy of SHREWSBURY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Teens these days get a bad rap. After all, if the shock-horror headlines are to be believed, work-shy youngsters spend all their time vegetating in front of the latest reality show, stuffing junk food into their mouths and tapping away on an instant messenger service. Of course, that’s when they’re not out on the town drinking heavily and pumping their bodies full of disco drugs. How refreshing it is, then, to spend a few hours with a group of international students in Thailand and to hear them talk about community spirit, self-sufficiency, commitment, perseverance, and physical endurance. Clearly, the perception described above requires some fairly major adjustment. The students in question are all participants in the International Award programme, which, to quote from its founder, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh — husband of Queen Elizabeth II — is designed as a “challenge to the individual to do more, to try harder and to reach out to new horizons”. So what inspires kids who have spent most of their lives in relative comfort to take up this challenge — to find themselves atop a mountain assisting a friend, building houses in Isaan, or helping out in schools for HIV-positive toddlers? Initially, as learning post found out on a recent visit to Bangkok Patana School in Bangna, the answers are quite mundane — to get out of the city, essentially. But scratch beneath the surface and you find that for all participants, the initial attractions quickly give way to a deep commitment to personal development, and, ultimately, a sense of purpose in life and a sense of responsibility to others and to the environment. Changing perceptions
To understand the journey of self-discovery that is the International Award, it’s necessary to understand the structure of the programme itself. Currently, the Award is split into three categories: Bronze, for over-14s who commit a minimum of six months to the programme; Silver for over 15s who participate for a minimum of 12 months; and Gold for over-16s who participate for more than 18 months. The programme itself comprises four sections that must be completed by all participants. The first, “Service”, includes community service and conservation work. Secondly, the “Adventurous Journey” section involves expeditions through which students develop teamwork and an understanding of environmental issues. The third section, “Skills”, helps develop personal interests and hobbies, while the fourth, “Physical Recreation”, encourages team activities and individual sports. Additionally, the Gold Award includes a residential project intended to broaden experience through living and working with others over a period of at least five days. However, it wasn’t ambitious and lofty ideals like these that caught the attention of students like Shrewsbury School’s Steph Allen, 15. “It looked really good as an after-school activity,” says Steph, who is in the middle of her Silver Award. “It also looked like the sort of thing that would look good on your university record,” she adds. But Steph, like the other Award participants learning post spoke to, quickly found that the programme was much more than just learning how to read music, or playing sports. When presented with the challenges involved in the “Adventurous Journey” section of the Award, or the community service aspects, certain personal qualities naturally emerge. Ludi Lacrosse, a student at Bangkok Patana, recalls one incident that occurred during a trip up Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia: “We woke up at 2am to go to the summit, but one of our friends got altitude sickness, so we had to bring her back down and stay with her — it was a group decision.” Ludi was quick to point out that the very next morning the students repeated the exercise. Determination is clearly one of the qualities fostered by the programme. Suvrat Sachdev, a Bangkok Patana student currently in the middle of his Gold Award, would agree. “We have to do a five-day expedition to Malaysia, so we approached a tour company. But we chose the route ourselves and we had to organise the transport to Malaysia, the trek itself, and what we have to take with us.” Local involvement
In Thailand, one of the principal coordinators of the International Award is Ian Jones — a physics teacher at Bangkok Patana. To label Ian as enthusiastic about the Award would be an understatement. Ian exudes boundless energy when talking about the programme as well as its implications for all participants. “These kids are the future leaders of tomorrow,” he says. “If we’re shaping future CEOs and they go away with community spirit or environmental awareness, then all the better for the future of the planet.” These future leaders also emerge with one other special quality, says Ian. They don’t see other people as defined by their qualifications or other academic achievements. Ludi Lacrosse agrees. “There can be a lot of pressure on grades at school, but the Award makes you realise that in life, you can't just be smart, you have to be a well-balanced person. This also makes you more prepared for the outside world.” Ian is keen to get Thai schools more involved in the Award programme. After all, scouting is very popular in Thailand, and the two are not mutually exclusive. He also points out that the International Award organisation is very supportive of any school that wants to participate — and as local organiser, he is also prepared to lend a hand where needed. “You could run the award on virtually nothing,” he says. “Other than a nominal joining fee, we can share maps and other resources.” Ian also points out that the greater the involvement of Thai schools, the more opportunities there are for international school students to get more involved in local communities. Involving Thai teachers in the scheme may also have a very positive effect on their own lives and outlooks, says Gill Mason, a teacher from Shrewsbury International School and an International Award coordinator. After all, it did for her. “I think [the Award] has been largely responsible for leading me into education, making me as independent and outward-looking as I am and for making life-long friends from all walks of life, throughout the world,” she says. Although in its relative infancy in Thailand, with the infectious enthusiasm of all involved, it can only be a matter of time before a network of international and Thai schools link up in the Award programme. This can only be a good thing, as it brings young people closer in a uniquely positive way — and those young people may end up “spreading the word” themselves. Says Hannah Chapman, a Bangkok Patana student who is taking the Gold Award: “Once I've settled in a career, I can see myself supervising younger people doing the awards. We all enjoyed it so much and we'd like to bring it to more people and more countries. That would be really great.” For more information on the International Award, visit www.intaward.org. You can also contact Ian Jones at iajo@patana.ac.th or Gill Mason at gillian.m@shrewsbury.ac.th.THEN AND NOW The International Award started life as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 1956. It was designed by HRH Prince Philip along with Dr Kurt Hahn, headmaster at Gordonstoun School in Scotland where Prince Philip was a student, and Lord Hunt, leader of a successful ascent on Mount Everest, with the remit of being a programme of voluntary self-development activities. While orignially launched as a programme for boys between the ages of 14 and 18, almost as soon as it was launched in the UK, schools and youth groups across the globe quickly took it up. By 1980, the scheme had expanded to include girls as well as a formal four-section programme and had an upper age limit revised upwards to 25. In 1988 representatives of the award programmes worldwide formally founded the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Association (IAA). In individual countries, National Award Authorities (NAAs) oversee the programme and coordinate activities in line with the guidelines set by the IAA. Where there is no NAA, local “independent operators” oversee the Award, ensuring it follows the IAA guidelines. This is currently the case in Thailand, although Ian Jones and his fellow coordinators are working toward establishing a local NAA in the near future.
|© The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. All rights reserved 2005 | Last modified: July 11, 2005 |
No hobbits here — International Award students on a trip to New Zealand.
Night falls during a trip to Mae Fang district, Chiang Mai — a long way from home.