Gaisce and the Joint Award Initiative/Duke of Edinburgh Award NI were delighted to partner on a Gold Award Residential taking place over 4 nights and 5 days from the 27th to the 31st of August 2018 in the beautiful Castle Saunderson Estate, Belturbet, Co. Cavan. Young people from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland who registered for their Gaisce/JAI/DofE/DofE International Gold award took part in the residential. The core theme of the residential was looking after the environment and making a better world in our own communities. Over the course of the 5 days participants received training and certification in environmental leadership with our programme partners Venture Out, Leave No Trace and Ulster Wildlife.
The Programme
Participants received a certificate in Youth Environmental Leadership from Leave No Trace Ireland and Venture Out. This element of the residential over 3 days aimed to support and empower young people to become active participants in addressing environmental challenges. Through this outdoor based, personal development programme, participants had the opportunity to learn valuable leadership skills while developing an appreciation for nature. Through fun group activities, challenges, discussions and reflection, young people can apply their learning to become environmental ambassadors within their own communities having completed this training.
Participants received a certificate for participating in the Ulster Wildlife Grassroots Challenge. This 1 day experience combined environmental games, wildlife identification and observation, as well as making wildlife habitat boxes to take home and use in locations decided on by participants.
On the final day of the residential participants learned about the Messengers of Peace initiative with Scouting Ireland. They finished the residential by reflecting, discussing and committing together how they might take the learnings of the week back to their own communities to make a difference.