President's Award
The President's Award for Youth Empowerment (TPA) is an independent, structured youth development programme and is the South African implementation of The Duke of Edinburgh International Award. It is recognised and implemented by many schools, universities, and employers. Subject to eligibility by age, youth from all around the country can participate.
The President’s Award consists of three levels — Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Participants complete four Sections at each level: Service, Skills, Physical Recreation and an Adventurous Journey. At Gold level, participants also complete a Gold Residential Project. There are age restrictions as well as scaling time frames depending on the award level.
Partnership with SCOUTS South Africa
SCOUTS South Africa has an established partnership with The President's Award so that Scouts, Rovers and young Scouters can complete the award in conjunction with the Scouting Advancement programmes, and at a reduced cost. Within Scouting, the President's Award is recognised as a Challenge Award and has its own unique badge.
Registration
Before you complete the award requirements, every Scout must register. No activity done outside of the registration period can be considered for The President’s Award.
In terms of SSA’s agreement with TPA, to be eligible for the discounted rates a warranted Scouter must submit the one form to the SSA National Office. It is the responsibility of the Scouter to verify that all submitted forms are for invested members only. It is beneficial for Scout Groups to register in bulk; however, individuals can register at any time.
Refer to the SSA TPA registration page for the current registration forms. Detailed instructions are included.
Applications are processed by the National Office once a month. The President’s Award will confirm registration within the following month via the contact details supplied in the registration form. Please direct any queries on a pending registration to info@scouts.org.za.
Completing the award
Participants progress at their own pace through one of three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. There are four Sections to the Programme that must be done for a specified minimum period of time for each level: Service, Skills, Physical Recreation and an Adventurous Journey. Participants must complete the requirements of each section simultaneously. In addition, a Residential Project is required for the Gold level. With guidance from volunteer adult Award Leaders, each young person reflects upon their interests, abilities and ambitions as they set themselves challenges throughout the Sections.
Activities done for the Scout Advancement Programme can be used for The President’s Award: the activities are not mutually exclusive. A key point of difference between the President’s Award Programme and the Scout Advancement Programme is that TPA activities are done over a long period of commitment, as shown in the table below. This is especially true with community service projects.
Before registering, it's a good idea to discuss your plan with your Troop or Rover Scouter. Due to the structure of the award, it is much easier to adjust your plans before registering than to make a new one at the last minute. If you are unsure if your plans are sufficient for the requirements, check the list of common TPA activities here.
Requirements
This is just a summary. Please visit The President's Award for full details of the requirements.
| Requirement | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| Maximum age | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Minimum completion period | 6 months | 6 months for Bronze holders 12 months direct enrolment |
12 months for Silver holders 18 months direct enrolment |
| Service (period) | 24 hrs (3 months) | 48 hrs (6 months) | 72 hrs (12 months) |
| Skill (period) | 1 hr/week (3 months) | 1 hr/week (6 months) | 1 hr/week (12 months) |
| Physical Recreation (period) | 1 hr/week (3 months) | 1 hr/week (6 months) | 1 hr/week (12 months) |
| Adventurous Journey (period) | 24 km (2 days, 1 night) | 48 km (3 days, 2 nights) | 80 km (4 days, 3 nights) |
| Additional requirements (period) |
Service, Physical Recreation or Skills (3 months) |
Service, Physical Recreation or Skills (6 months, direct enrolment only) |
Service, Physical Recreation or Skills (12 months, direct enrolment only) |
| Residential Project (period) | (5 days, 4 nights) |
Examples
Although each requirement will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, in general the following Scout activities will qualify for The President’s Award:
| Service | Skill | Physical Recreation | Adventurous Journey | Residential Project (Gold Award only) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Claiming the award
To claim the award, you must prove to TPA that you have completed the requirements by compiling a portfolio of evidence.
Submit your portfolio of evidence to your Troop Scouter, RS or SGL. They must submit it to SSA’s Regional or National Office, who will convey it to The President’s Award. It will then be assessed, and an assessment result will be sent to the Scout or Rover within 2-3 months after submission.
Portfolio of evidence
The portfolio of evidence (PoE) is a written document of approximately 5-20 pages. Remember that The President’s Award is not very familiar with common Scouting activities. Explain things from the ground up and give some background.
The PoE should contain the following parts:
- A cover page, including your name, Scout Troop, District and Region, the time period for which you were registered, and any cover art.
- A table of contents.
- 4 or 5 parts detailing evidence for each Section:
- Service
- Skills
- Physical Recreation
- Adventurous Journey
- Residential Project (only for gold)
Each section must include:
- What you did. Write it like a story and elaborate on your daily actions. Pictures will help.
- The specifics. How many hours did you spend doing the activity, and over which dates? You must prove that you met the set requirements fully.
- A signed statement from your Troop Scouter, RS, or the activity leader, verifying the details for each activity claimed.
If you have completed a requirement in several parts (e.g. you worked on several community service projects), then you must repeat this structure for each individual part.
Receiving the award
If you receive a successful assessment result after submitting your Portfolio of Evidence, well done! You have earned The President’s Award. Recipients may join the Global TPA Alumni Network.
A signed certificate will be mailed to the Regional Office, and either you or your Scouter can fetch it from there.
A fabric badge is available to purchase from the Scout Shop, in the colour of the award level you received. You may be awarded the badge during any normal Scout meeting. The placement of the badge is detailed in SSA’s Uniform Policy and badge charts. A recipient is allowed to wear the award until the age of 25, or until they are no longer a Rover.
The President’s Award also sells a metal pin badge for approximately R100, which you may wear on a school uniform.
Gold recipients may be invited by The President’s Award to an awards ceremony, held annually. You may wear your Scout uniform to this ceremony.