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17 Barbadians have reached the pinnacle of the world’s leading achievement award for young people.
The recipients of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award were presented with their certificates by President, Her Excellency the Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, during a ceremony at State House.
Participants are required to choose a voluntary service, a skill and some form of physical recreation and commit to the chosen activity for at least 12 months.
In addition, they must train for and complete an adventurous journey in unfamiliar territory for at least four days.
Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, Sir Trevor Carmichael, says the group is one of the largest cohort of Gold awardees.
Sir Trevor says the programme has been successful in many countries, including lowering the recidivism rates when it was introduced in prisons in South Africa.
CBC spoke with some of the awardees, all young people in their 20’s, about their experience in the programme.
