Award to the wise: Duke of Edinburgh's Award; Where else can you have such a great time while making new friends and learning vital life skills?

REGULAR Young Scot magazine readers will know all about The Duke of Edinburgh's Award and its flexibility across four Sections and three levels for everyone between 14 and 25 years of age. Now for the really serious stuff about what it can do for you in the long-term.

The Award sits very closely with education and initiatives set up by the Scottish Executive, Scottish Qualifications Authority and others. These include Core Skills, Citizenship and Social Inclusion.

The big wide world is a sharp and competitive place, so the better equipped you are to face it, the better life quality and career prospects you'll have.

The Award can help! Carole Marr of St Columba's School, Kilmalcolm, rates the achievements of her Award participants and the camaraderie of the volunteers who run it. Her Silver Award Group was practically struck dumb in their service section by their fundraising success for Macmillan Nurses through their Stop Rabbiting sponsored silence.

Carole says: ``The Award starts at an ideal time, when young people are moving towards independence.''

At Park Mains High School, Erskine, loads of pupils are doing the Award. Their watchwords are Stickability and TEAM together everyone achieves more.

One of the pupils said: ``I didn't think I'd make it on our Award Expedition but the rest helped me through. We had a great time.''

Ian Armour, PE Teacher and Award Leader, believes the programme provides strengths which ``help our young folk in job markets and in their communities long after we've gone.'' He tells Gold Award achievers: ``You have the highest Award, now go into the world and make a difference.''

Katherine, doing Silver at Inverness Royal Academy, says: ``It makes you do things you might not have tried.''

This is echoed by Pat Crippin, teacher and Award Leader at the Academy, who adds: ``Very few young people would otherwise spend a night in pouring rain in the wild Scottish Highlands!''

She feels commitment, organisational skill and imagination are the key ingredients for participants. Staff involved juggle Award Leadership with other responsibilities but share participants' pleasure at their newfound confidence and skills.

Take the challenge and a few steps to a fuller future. Ask about the Award at your school, college, youth club or work. Or using reference YS288 contact: The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, 69 Dublin Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6 NS. Tel: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail] or log on towww.theaward.org/scotland

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A BREAK FROM THE NORM: The; Duke of Edinburgh's Awards programme allows young people to try their hands at activities or challenges that they may never have considered before