Duke of Edinburgh Bronze - worth it?

@UsingChangeofName The trouble there is that you are making judgements based on criteria that many kids don't have the money, time or opportunity to take advantage of. Which is fundamentally unfair.

I'm going to stick neck out on this one... I sometimes interview Uni applicants, they may mention their DoE. I sense that for some of the kids, DoE Expedition was literally the only time they did anything for such a long period without adult supervision, coped, + otherwise organised their time & activities so independently. This was a big deal for some very sheltered kids to do. I think for kids from some social backgrounds, that taste of independence can be invaluable.

I agree with this. Both the independence from adults part (which worries me when I hear of groups that have adults walking with them ???) and also the 'getting along with the others in the group' part of it. The sort of 'working together' side of things, even where someone in the group is slower / weaker / less fit than the rest or where someone is a moaner, or where someone has fewer skills, or sometimes when someone is a lot stronger / faster than others, or, for any one of many reasons when someone is just annoying you for whatever reason - reasonable or not. We all have to deal with people in the work place that we wouldn't choose as our friends, and I think doing the DofE scheme (properly) helps to teach some of those incredibly useful soft skills. Not just the expedition, but that is often the bit that stands out in people's memories.

Absolutely this. Sneaking into a pub for lunch was one of the highlights. I have never been so scared of getting caught! 30 years later we still have immense fond memories of those trips. I was useless at everything but thankfully had an amazing crew of competent friends who could cook super noodles in a field like no others could. I am encouraging my children to do it just for the memories

DC did it 70-80% for social occasion/fun/lark & 20-30% for sense of achievement. DD struggled but completed silver, DS didn't complete silver (covid). No regrets, though

I'm going to stick neck out on this one... I sometimes interview Uni applicants, they may mention their DoE. I sense that for some of the kids, DoE Expedition was literally the only time they did anything for such a long period without adult supervision, coped, + otherwise organised their time & activities so independently. This was a big deal for some very sheltered kids to do. I think for kids from some social backgrounds, that taste of independence can be invaluable.

And what's fairly easy for one child may clearly be a huge challenge for another.

I agree with that, but that is also why each section ought to be discussed with the organisation first, in that it ought to be something challenging for every participant.
I am aware that sadly some schools just allow all sorts of things, and really don't equip the participants to do the expedition properly, which is a shame as they are cheating the dc of what the whole point of the scheme is. The challenging self and doing stuff you wouldn't otherwise necessarily have done.

Yes, the dc should be doing route planning and should be walking without adults, but sadly too many people (incl some of the private companies making £££ from it nowadays) just want to push them through without actually teaching the dc enough before they even start the practice expedition.

That's very different to the common case of private and GS kids.
And what's fairly easy for one child may clearly be a huge challenge for another.

I think it's definitely about the value to the individual. DD2 has battled her anxiety to be able to do the Bronze. It might be "two a penny" from some perspectives but for her (attending a special school) it is a feat of endurance and she has overcome significant anxiety to even do the practice walk. I just hope she can do the actual expedition.

I only really know people who have studied either medicine or law at prestigious universities and it makes me laugh to see people describe this sort of thing as prestigious or valued by ‘universities and good employers’.

Very very far from my experience of these settings.

He should do activities he enjoys. For the people I describe above - this was mostly two or more instruments, a second language, a volunteer position, a sport and for many a job.

@NandorsFamilar my son has done bronze and silver expeditions and both fairly heavily monitored by staff (outsourced by school) and given a route to follow. On Bronze they had a staff member walk with them the first day of the practice to make sure they could all map read and adults at check points. I did Gold many moons ago and we had to plan our route and had one staff member with a pair of binoculars watching us from afar but we were basically on our own, but we were all 17-18.

I don't know if this is true across the board. But in my experience students arrange their own volunteering etc, but the actual exhibition is arranged by the school.

I have mine and personally I've never gotten any value out of it. I think it can be a fun thing for teenagers to do, but I don't hold much stock in it having any impact on employment prospects. Employers care that you can do the job and that's it, really. It's possible some high end universities might care, but they wouldn't immediately reject anyone who didn't have it.

My son just had his Silver practice. He's loved the expeditions and thrown himself into the volunteering. Any 'brownie points' on future CVs will be a bonus, there's no way he would be doing it just for the recognition.

DS enjoyed the camping part of the Bronze but gave up on the rest of it though

Slightly off topic, but it seems that for the UK DoE the kids prepare their own expedition. Is that right?
My kids did both Bronze and Silver here in Aus but their school accompanied them and planned a route.
I wonder if it is due to the remoteness and wildlife hazards (snakes, leeches) and geographic hazards (rock falls, rapid changes in weather and visibility). The teachers walked alongside the kids. If there was an emergency, the staff had satellite phones.
For gold, the circular route was blocked due to previous bushfires. The new turn back end point was only accessible by walking/ ATV/boat or helicopter.

And camping was in the back end of no where with just a long drop toilet and no running water. Half of the campsite was flooded due to mad rain. (Long drop is a deep pit, with a hut and a toilet pan placed over the hole to make sure people don't fall in I guess)

DD got pulled into it when it was offered in school. But the school was very much for learning a new skill and was very strict what they accepted.
DD already had a variety of things going on and it was also during the second lockdown. 3 months down the line and she asked us to cancel, she just couldn't do it.

She managed to get a spot to volunteer with the Beaver colony of her Scout group. 2 years later and she still does it, loves it and got training to be a Young Leader with no intention to stop.
She is also a Scout Explorer and the Platinum award is basically the same. Instead of a hike she will do the trip by Standup-Paddle board next month.

Her Explorer leader is more than happy to accept a significant improvent of an existing skill for this, her jumping a grade in drama exams fit the bill.

I think she benefited from the volunteering bit but it is really difficult for 13/14 year olds to get anything unless they are already connected to something.

If u r thinking it’ll look good on uni app, as most schools in deprived areas don’t offer it, they don’t take any notice now.

If he isn’t interested no point in making him

I was very unlucky with my final expedition. It did not stop raining once and my borrowed ancient rucksack gave me long term back problems. Even with my mates it was bloody miserable.

Worth it for map reading and first aid training
Not worth it for Uni applications

Interestingly, it was the expeditions that started me on a lifelong love of walking and the outdoors. It meant we were able to go away as youngsters - initially without our parents, but then as we got older, to meet up for weekends when we didn't have much money, and have great short holidays with friends.

I'd not really walked before doing my DofE.

Utterly put me off hiking / walking for the whole of my twenties and thirties only in the last few years have I started walking again as my bronze expeditions so bloody miserable. Guess it’s character building. One of mine was keen but covid stopped it sadly the second flatly refused to do it (very cool party girl hiking really not her thing).

It's definitely more about giving them skills and experiences and gaining confidence.
One of my dcs did it and the other didn't want to. They did some volunteering though which I personally think, is the most valuable element.

Interesting you say that. My ds is at a very academic independent school. They barely pushed the DoE at all.

Dd hated the Bronze. It was cold, wet, she cried and held up her team mates. Not DoE material, my dd .

I would not put anyone through it who did not want to do it. Made zilch difference to her uni applications. She had lots to talk about on her Personal Statement without having to mention it. Shudder.

DS did it, he hated the skill part and cooking, found the sport bit easy as he was already playing football, but it was the volunteering that really helped him later on rather than the award itself. He struggled to get work through covid (only 15 when we went through first lockdown, then all of the jobs had gone by the summer when he turned 16). But when he did come to apply he had 6 months of volunteering at a primary school as a football coach after school once a week, (they asked him to stay on for another term after the initial 12 weeks was up) which led to him doing his work experience there in year 10 and some more volunteering with them later on. It was really all he had on his cv when he finally applied for jobs and I'm sure helped him out. He also really grew up and gained confidence in himself through the volunteering and it spurred him on to do more for the love of it.