The 25 things all teenagers should do: Duke of Edinburgh’s Award staff draw up checklist of activities to help youngsters build character
- The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme’s checklist includes a ‘digital detox’
- There’s 25 recommended activities aimed at boosting confidence and resilience
- The activities include learning about climate change and trying a vegan diet
As most parents know, it can be a challenge to get teenagers to put down their phones and engage with the ‘real world’.
Now the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme has come up with a checklist designed to cut through apathy and ‘build character’.
It even includes a ‘digital detox’ – leaving the online world of mobile phones, iPads and other devices behind.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme has come up with a checklist designed to cut through apathy and ‘build character’
The 25 recommended activities aimed at boosting confidence and resilience include learning about climate change and trying a vegan diet. There are also more traditional recommendations such as getting a Saturday job and learning a language.
The scheme, founded by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1956, helps 460,000 young people aged from 14 to 25 develop new skills every year. It said the checklist is a ‘fun and inspirational tool to help young people identify, embrace and enjoy activities that will support them on their journey to adulthood’.
The move comes after a poll for the scheme showed 52 per cent of 14 to 18-year-olds have never volunteered in the community and 51 per cent have not had a part-time job. Some 20 per cent said they had never been for a countryside hike and 43 per cent never campaigned for something they believed in.
The scheme hopes the list will help support teachers in building the character of young people to prepare them for employment. It is backed by leading employers including Heathrow airport.
The scheme, founded by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1956, helps 460,000 young people aged from 14 to 25 develop new skills every year
Ruth Marvel, of the scheme, said: ‘All young people should have access to the kind of experiences on the list.’
Former Dragons’ Den star James Caan, 59, who made his fortune in the recruitment business, supported the move.
He said: ‘The Experience List is a great starting point for young people to work out the best ways to develop their character and enhance their soft skills, which ultimately will improve their job prospects and help them to become more well-rounded individuals.’
In total, more than 6.5million people have taken part in Duke of Edinburgh’s programmes which involve physical challenges, learning new skills and volunteering to develop leadership, teamwork and communication. They have achieved three million gold, silver or bronze awards since 1956.