AVA Students Complete Silver DofE Expedition
Congratulations to all students who recently completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh's Award Qualifying Expedition
Despite experiencing some very warm weather, the expedition was a tremendous success, with many participants commenting that they preferred the sunshine to the wet conditions encountered during the practice expedition earlier in the year.
A total of 37 students successfully completed the challenge, including 31 Year 10 students and six Year 12 students. Throughout the expedition, students demonstrated excellent teamwork, resilience and independence as they navigated unfamiliar routes, checked in at each checkpoint, cooked meals using trangias and camped overnight.
The sense of achievement at the finish was evident, and staff were incredibly proud of the determination and positive attitude shown by all involved.
One memorable reflection from the expedition was a student's comment that "it was so lovely to be away from my phone" — perhaps highlighting one of the unexpected benefits of spending time outdoors and away from everyday distractions.
The final stage for participants is now to complete their expedition presentations and ensure their Physical, Volunteering and Skills sections are finished before achieving their full Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award.
The staff involved in supervising the expedition were immensely proud of every student and the way they embraced the challenge from start to finish.