Youth Challenge This is a 30-hour programme comprising of six five-hour activities with a central element of peer assessment supported by the Award Group Worker. Encouraging young people to take part in activities is the focus at this first level.
Youth Challenge Plus This 30-hour programme is an extension of the Youth Challenge, comprising of six additional five-hour activities, likely to be completed by a young person who is not yet ready to progress to the next level of responsibility.
Youth Challenge Extra Booklet This 30-hour programme can be used as a progression from the Youth Challenge or as direct entry for a young person capable of demonstrating the ability to help organise.
Bronze Youth Achievement Award The Bronze Award encourages young people to take part in peer group activities. To complete Bronze young people need to undertake four 15-hour challenges supported by the Award Group Worker.
Silver Youth Achievement Award The Silver Award comprises of six 15-hour challenges and encourages young people help to organise their own activities. By taking an increased level of responsibility and helping to organise the activities they are making a vital contribution to ensuring that the activity takes place.
Gold Youth Achievement Award The Gold Award requires the young person to complete seven 15-hour challenges and make a presentation. The focus in Gold is on planning, organising and leading activities. Significant responsibility will be demonstrated at this level.
Platinum Youth Achievement Award Platinum is the highest level of the Awards and, although similar in structure to the other levels, direction is provided on the activities that must take place. The Award includes a total of approximately 120 hours participation. This Award requires the young person to go through processes that will help them to develop the skills to take on a leadership role - and because of this young people need to be over 16 years of age when they start the award. The young person is required to produce a personal development plan, undertake training, undertake placements working with young people, produce an evaluation of their progress, and then prepare for and give a presentation. Whilst this award is more prescriptive in content than any of the other awards, if successfully completed it will have prepared the young person with the skills and background to make an active and positive contribution to youth work
A Curriculum Development Approach
The Youth Challenges and the Youth Achievement Awards are based upon the youth work Curriculum Development Model described by John Huskins in his book 'Quality Work with Young People - developing social skills and diversion from risk'.
The Curriculum Development Model is a way of working whereby the young person (supported and guided by the Award Group Worker), progressively takes on responsibility for their own involvement, their learning and their actions.
There are four stages of involvement that can be recognised through the Youth Challenges and the Youth Achievement Awards. Young people can directly enter the programmes at the level appropriate to their interests and abilities. Generally young people aged 11 to 14 (Key Stage 3) become involved in the Youth Challenges and young people aged over 14 years old (Key Stage 4 and beyond) become involved in the Youth Achievement Awards.
