"The Compass in your Heart" - a reflection on the Duke of Edinburgh Award

Beyond the physical achievement, Duke of Edinburgh is a powerful lesson in resilience, leadership, teamwork, and personal growth. Many students experience camping and hiking for the first time, pushing beyond their comfort zones to discover new strengths and forge lasting memories. This sentiment was beautifully captured by Year 10 student, Chris, whose pre-expedition speech offered a moving reflection on what the Duke of Edinburgh Award represents—particularly for students from diverse backgrounds;

Good day everyone!

I would like to speak today not just to the seasoned hikers, or the medal wearers who have already pitched ten tents in ten different kinds of rain. No, I would like to speak to those who are standing at the starting line. Especially the ones who just arrived in the UK. The ones from Ghana, like myself, or from Pakistan, Nigeria, Jamaica or Bangladesh. Those of you who have never seen a compass outside of a phone app, this is for you.

Let me start with the truth. Where I come from, we don’t do camping or hiking. Some of us didn’t grow up in forests, let alone sleep in them. Our parents were more likely to say “Go and study”, than, “Go wander in the woods and get lost with grace”. So, if this is all new to you, if your first reaction to the “Duke of Edinburgh” was “who is that?”, you’re in the right place.

You see, the duke of Edinburgh award isn’t about how outdoorsy you already are. It’s about how brave you’re willing to be. About saying “yes” to a challenge even If you’ve never pitched a tent in your life.

Take me for example, I’ve never gone camping, never hiked, and trust me- I’m terrible with maps. Like truly spectacularly bad. But I signed up anyway, and that takes guts. Here is what happens when you say yes, despite all the reasons to say no.

You arrive at camp with food with names your mates can’t pronounce- but oh, they’ll want some. You light a stove with more drama than a telenovela. And the first night, in that unfamiliar tent, under the relentless British sky, you realise something…. You’re still here. Still breathing and still moving forward.

You hike with aching legs, argue with the map, maybe even cry a little inside when the rain starts five minutes into a six hour walk. But somewhere along the trail, with your socks soaked and your snack stash dwindling, you start to feel something unfamiliar- Pride.

You’re not just completing tasks; you’re learning your own strengths.

The award makes space for your culture- your jollof rice, your injera, your masala- even as it teaches you to boil pasta on a tiny gas flame. It honours your stories, your accents and your ancestries. It stretches your comfort zone, not to break you, but to make you stronger.

So yes, you might start off not knowing where North is. But here is the secret, you don’t need to, because the most important compass is in your heart and it’s called courage. It points to growth and never spins aimlessly especially when you walk with others beside you.

When you finish this journey, you’ll come out with a story. One that says, “ I did the hard thing, I camped, I hiked, I doubted and still did it anyway”. And for everyone who looks like you, speaks like you, or comes from where you come from- they’ll see the path too, because you walked it first.

So, to all the young adventurers from cultural minorities, to all the first- time campers and map fumbling heroes: go pitch that tent upside down if you must. Wander a little because you’re not just surviving, you’re becoming. And know that I am proud you’re here. Thank you!