We are happy to announce that the Merite Jeunesse club for the 2019-2020 school year has now ran all of their planned expeditions (after a delay of several months due to coronavirus). Merite Jeunesse is the term used in Luxembourg for the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, which is a non-formal education and learning framework operating in more than 130 countries and territories around the world, through which young people’s achievements outside of academia are recognised and celebrated. There are 3 levels: Bronze (minimum age of 14 years), Silver (minimum age of 15 years) and Gold (minimum age of 16 years).  Students have until they are 25 years old to complete any level.

After students joined Merite Jeunesse in October 2019, they learnt about the entire Award, which includes the below sections. 

• Service – Encourages understanding of the value of giving service to others and your community.
• Skills – Encourages the development of personal interests and practical skills.
• Physical Recreation – Encourages participation in sport and other physical recreation for the improvement of health and fitness.
• Adventurous Journey – Encourages a spirit of adventure and discovery whilst undertaking a journey in a group.
• Residential Project (Gold only) – Broadens your experience through involvement with others in a residential setting.

The sections of service, skills and physical recreation require an average of one hour per week over the timeframe needed for that level (Bronze, Silver or Gold), with all time being done outside of school.  The goal is to encourage students to step outside their comfort zone, to learn to lead, to keep active, to gain new skills and to support their communities. 

The training and preparation for the adventurous journey then began.  Students are required to plan, train for and undertake a self-sufficient journey with a clearly defined purpose in an unfamiliar environment, in a group of between 4 to 7 participants.  There is  a practise and assessed expedition at each level – the assessed expedition must have a purpose. Students learnt about the expedition conditions, navigation, use of a compass, appropriate food and how to cook on a triangia (small stove), how to put up and take down a small hiking tent, how to do a detailed route plan, the importance of team work, the appropriate kit and first aid training.  Then it was time to put the training to the test by undertaking the practice and assessed expeditions.  Normally these expeditions would have taken place in spring and summer 2020, but they were postponed to autumn 2020 due to coronavirus, then took place with the necessary sanitary measures.  After the assessed expedition, students must give a presentation about the expedition and show their project to the assessor. See below list of expeditions that took place.

We experienced a variety of weather during the expeditions – from hot and sunny, to cold and rainy. The lesson is to always be prepared and to bring the appropriate equipment. The nights of camping helped the students to appreciate the comforts of their own homes. Students hike in their groups along their planned routes, at their planned speeds with the supervisors meeting them along the route to check that they are keeping to their plan. By working together in this manner, students have the opportunity to develop their teamwork, navigation and campcraft skills in an independent manner. It is always a pleasure to meet the students in the forest, when they are laughing and enjoying themselves along the way (even more so when they are on their planned route at the planned time). It is the journey that is important, rather than the final destination.

We hope that these students have enjoyed the unique experience of working towards their Merite Jeunesse Award.  Many thanks to Mr Roberts for his valuable assistance, to Sonia Alvarez for the useful first aid training and to Loic Khelafa for his role as the expedition assessor. Our reward is to witness the personal development and growth of the students, as well as enjoying plenty of time in the great outdoors.

We look forward to welcoming a new group of Merite Jeunesse students starting in November 2020, so the journey can start all over again.