25
May
2016
Hong Kong Award for Young People – Gold Award
Dear Parents
Year 12 students had an assembly recently about the Gold Award for Young People which is the Hong Kong equivalent of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
I’ve given details of the qualification, and the costs involved, in the attached letter (click to view). The award is great for developing maturity and perseverance. It is also a very helpful thing to mention on university applications, especially in the UK. Students do not need to have completed the Bronze or Silver Award in order to start the Gold award.
It is hoped that students will complete the award before they leave Hong Kong but they have until age 26 to do so. This means students can mention that they are pursuing the qualification on university applications, even if they don’t plan to complete it before leaving STC. Participants will definitely complete the expedition part of the qualification with me, including the mountain expedition to somewhere remote in Asia, by June 2017 but the other parts are up to students to complete at their own pace.
I’ve attached the sign up letter. Please return this, and payment, by Wednesday 15th June and I’ll be able to get the logbooks, before summer, so students can get started. It might be particularly helpful to use the summer to complete the residential project.
Here’s the UCAS application system reflection on the Award;
Not everyone is Captain of the school football team, completes the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award or goes back-packing in India in the holidays but everyone applying to uni does have a unique set of characteristics. [The D of E award] is a great way of preparing for Higher Education. If you do or have done (it) before, it could be ideal to mention in your personal statement.
Having this Award is good for student CVs when they are looking for employment after university, too. Here is a quote from Nottingham University:
So what are employers and postgraduate courses looking for? Whether they are general graduate recruiters, or offering employment in, or training for, the Legal profession, they will all be looking for evidence of your commitment to and suitability for their profession, and why you have chosen them to apply to, and you can show all this in your CV with the details of your achievements, which can show particular skills such as team-working, leadership, and organisation, and personal qualities such as determination to succeed, adaptability, and resilience e.g. fund-raising or the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Finally, here is an article which mentions the importance for students of offering more than academic grades and the advantages of doing the Award:
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions about any aspect of the award.
Best wishes
Chris Taylor
HKAYP Leader
