We know it can be tough to keep on going with your DofE but here’s some inspo to keep you focused on achieving your goals!  

1. The DofE enhances the time you spend on the activities you love doing! 
2. Having a DofE Bronze, Silver or Gold Award may help you in getting a job.
3. A Silver or Gold DofE Award may help you gain access to Uni.
4. You will learn loads of life skills that will help you throughout your entire life.
5. You will have FUN along your entire DofE journey!

We know that ‘logging’ sounds pretty boring these days, but reflecting on what you’ve been doing has loads of positive benefits! Here’s some tips to help you out: 

1. Use the ORB mobile app for convenience. Try to log after you do each activity, setting aside a few minutes will help you see how you’re working towards achieving your goals.
2. Make it easy – keep a pen or paper close by or keep notes in your phone so you can jot down your thoughts as you go.
3. Write what feels right – let your reflection on your activity flow freely.

The time you invest in learning a new skill, volunteering, doing a recreational activity and going beyond your comfort zone makes you a stand out to employers and tertiary organisations.

You’re getting world ready, building your resume and getting formally recognised for it!

One of our Gold Award Holders, Diana Mwale has this to say to you, “Being part of DofE was fun, a lot of fun. I taught me how to be resilient, how to work in a group and also exercising empathy. Because working in a team with people that have different interests and personalities, you do need empathy to work well together to achieve your goals. This was a stepping stone to understand that life is not just about books. Books are good but it’s not enough because you have to think about what skills you need to survive in society. This enabled me to build my character, skills and talents that can used to add value to my community.”

Physical Recreation

• Netball
• Football – Soccer
• Basketball
• Running
• Tennis
• Swimming
• Walking
• Keep Fit
• Football
• Weight Training

Skill

• Musical Instrument
• Life and Vocational Skills
• Crafts
• Hobbies
• Arts and Design
• Foreign Languages
• Sports related
• Communications
• Music other
• Games

Voluntary Service

• Coaching / Instructing
• Teaching Assistance
• Leader of a Youth Club / School / Sports Club / Organisation
• Assistance at a Charity e.g. Hospice Trade Aid
• Library Volunteering
• Help and befriend elderly
• Caring for public school or garden
• Food bank / soup kitchen
• Volunteering at Church / Sunday School / Ministry / Youth Group
• Tutoring

Adventurous Journey

• Bushwalking
• Canoeing
• Cycling
• Horse riding
• Rafting
• Sailing
• Historical/cultural trips
• Experiencing and understanding other languages/ cultures
• Historic train or boat journeys, e.g. if mobility is restricted

Gold Residential Project

• Residential language courses
• Leadership training
• Youth camps
• Youth parliaments
• Environment and conservation projects
• Volunteer work with national parks
• Restoration projects, e.g. buildings Voluntary Service to other people and communities
• Assisting as a leader at a camp for young people
• Working with a local or overseas aid charity
• Working in a care home or hospital
• Outdoor adventure courses
• Sport skills development and representative sport tours

1: Learn a language
Learning a second language is something everyone should try especially if you want to travel one day. Don’t know where to start? Try using Duolingo

2: Learn to code
If you love computers and are interested in one day getting a job working on them, learning to code is a great way to start.

3: Read
While your body is stuck at home your mind can travel to mystical lands, the future and the past all in one day – by reading books. Make sure you challenge yourself and choose books above your normal reading level.

4: Meditate
Worried about your mental health or just want to learn to still your mind? Try Meditating. You can try using an app if you are not sure where to start. Headspace has a great 10 day free trial.

5: Home Gardening
Give a person a vegetable and they eat for a day, teach a person to garden and they eat forever. Gardening is a great life skill to have.

6: Learn to juggle
Yes, juggling may seem lame, but have you ever seen someone juggle 6 balls at once? Juggling requires focus and extremely good reflexes.

7: Learn to cook
Worried that you are only going to be eating 2-minute noodles during your Adventurous Journey? Try learning to cook and expand your repertoire.

8: Graphic design
Learn the art of graphic design and make sure your presentations always look their best. Canva is free and has some great tutorials.

9: Play an instrument
From playing Wonderwall to Flight of the Bumblebee learning to play an instrument is a great skill for all ages.

10: Chess (Online)
You can play against the computer or even people online.

11: Basket making
Rediscover this lost art. You can use palm fronds, bamboo, reeds, thin strips of wood or sew rope together to make a basket.

12: Beekeeping
Bees are a vital part of the earth’s ecosystem they pollinate almost every single plant, not only that but they also make sweet delicious honey.

13: Cardmaking
Get a piece of paper, fold it in half and you have a card. But that is only the start, are you going to use quilling on it or stamps or paint it- the options are as endless as your creativity. You can then send those cards to people in hospitals and to those in isolation for your Voluntary Service.

14: Photography
While anyone can take a picture becoming a master of using light, depth and shadow is a very long road. Are you going to only use your phone camera, digital camera, analog or pinhole camera or all of them?

15: Origami
How many things can you make out of paper? According to his own estimation, the grandmaster of origami Akira Yoshizawa had made over 50,000 different origami models.

1: Yoga
Yoga is a great discipline to try at home as you need no equipment other than a mat or towel. Try using an app or watching online videos to get started.

2: Calisthenics
Callisthenics are exercises that require no equipment, so you can do it from home.

3: Virtual Mission
Choose a mission e.g run Sydney to Canberra, Row the Tasman Sea or Cycle from Melbourne to Adelaide and on your home exercise bike, treadmill or rowing machine track your journey using the Virtual Mission app. Race your friends or just set personal Goals, it’s a great form of evidence to show your Assessor even if they can’t be there. www.myvirtualmission.com

4: Aerobics (online lesson)
Dress in your favourite fluro outfit and bring back the 80’s. You can even do it with your friends via video chat.

5: Skateboarding
Do a kickflip! Or learn how. If you have a skateboard at home you can practice on the pavement or even on the grass and finally master that kickflip.

6:Dancing (all types)
Ever wanted to master all the fortnight dances or a cool dance routine from youtube? Why not do it for your Award?

7: Running
If the gamification of the Virtual Mission app isn’t your thing don’t worry. You can still run outside, in the bush on a track or even on a treadmill.

8: Swimming
While public swimming pools are crowded you can still work on your swimming ability by going to an ocean pool or your own if you have one.

9: Online Martial Arts Class
A lot of Dojos around the World have started offering online classes so that you can still practice but from home. Contact your local dojo to find out more.

10: Online Barre classes
What is barre? Is it ballet, pilates or just a workout? All three apparently. Get fit at home while working on your posture and endurance with an online barre class.

11: Parkour
Practice the French art of “l‘art du déplacement” or jump off thing saying “parkour” either way parkour requires discipline, precision and immense amounts of training to do well.

12: Frisbee golf
Set up goals around your backyard and perfect that backhand swing. While you can buy special weighted frisbee golf frisbees any old frisbee should work to start off with.

13: Tai Chi
The gentle martial art. Fulfil that life long dream of learning Tai Chi so that when the Coronavirus pandemic has subsided you can join those Tai Chi groups in the park.

14: Slacklining
While this does require a modest investment, if you have two strong trees at home or two firmly set posts you are ready to go. Remember, it is a lot harder and more tiring than it looks on youtube.

15: Zumba
Basically the modern version of Aerobics but with less fluro. Though that is up to you.