Three Chilliwack youth earn bronze Duke of Edinburgh awards for personal achievement

Three Chilliwack youth were recognized for fulfilling personal achievement goals as part of a global program recently.

Adam Holmes, Sara Reilly and Lucas Moore were awarded the bronze Duke of Edinburgh award by Mayor Ken Popove on the steps of City Hall on May 25.

The announcement came on June 4 from the Chilliwack Society for Community Living (CSCL) which supports people with developmental disabilities and their families.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a global program with the goal of challenging, empowering and recognizing young people between the ages of 14 and 24.

This group of Chilliwack achievers took the challenges presented by COVID-19 in stride by finding ways to stay active at home and partaking in a newly launched virtual bronze exploration in place of the typical format for the adventurous journey. Each youth walked away with a bronze certificate in hand, and a wealth of skills and experiences under their belt.

The highlight for recipient Adam Holmes was finally earning his award and receiving his certificate when he was finished.

“I felt really proud of myself when I was done,” he said.

The award framework equips young people with the necessary skills and experiences to take control of their lives and futures. This can be applied to any and all youth and the guiding principle is that any young person can do the award regardless of ability, gender, background, or socioeconomic status. An award certificate testifies to “character” and represents life skills developed, including confidence, a sense of purpose, resilience, problem solving, compassion and respect for diversity, CSCL said.

Since 1963, the Duke of Edinburgh’s award program has helped motivate young Canadians to set goals and challenge themselves to take control of their lives and futures. The classroom is not the only place to nurture the potential of one of our country’s greatest natural resources – our youth. The Duke of Edinburgh award strives to reach young Canadians in communities across the country and provide a platform that helps them chart their individual lives and equips them with important life skills, including employable skills.

In April, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada would be donating $200,000 to the Canadian branch of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.

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The Chilliwack Society for Community Living (CSCL) is a non-profit organization that supports adults with developmental disabilities, children and youth with special needs and their families in the Chilliwack and surrounding areas since 1954.