Five ways to support your child with their DofE programme
Your child may have just started their DofE adventure. Perhaps they are part-way through it and need a little help to complete it? Either way, we’ve got five top tips to help you support your child with completing their DofE programme.
1: Choosing activities: Your child may have found it relatively easy to choose what to do for some section, but are they stuck trying to decide what do do for the last one? Download our huge list of activities that can be included in each section which may give them some inspiration. The lists are not exhaustive, so if your child thinks of something that isn’t on the list but seems to fit, it’ll probably be okay! Remember – your child MUST tell their DofE Leader about what they have chosen so they don’t waste time on activities which won’t count or don’t fit into the right section. The chosen activity (plus their personal goals and details of their chosen Assessor) must then be entered into eDofE, our online record system, to be formally approved by the Leader. Download the programme ideas list here.
2: Finding expedition opportunities: Did they miss their group’s expedition due to illness, exam pressures, family holidays etc.? If so, they should ask their DofE Leader if they can join their group’s next expedition. If this is not suitable, they could take part in an expedition organised by one of the DofE’s Approved Activity Providers. AAPs are organisations, both commercial and charitable, whose activities have been approved by the DofE as meeting our conditions. This means that the expedition can count towards the achievement of a DofE Award. AAPs will provide Assessors to sign off the section. Find an open expedition here.
3: See their Welcome Pack: When they enrolled into the DofE with their group, Welcome Packs are sent to homes directly. This contains a Participant’s Handbook and a DofE Card (giving great discounts at a range of outdoor retailers (DofEshopping.org/card). The Handbook contains loads of advice on what to do and where to go for support and will help keep you in the picture.
4: Help them sign into eDofE: eDofE is our online system that means participants can record their DofE programme and activities, and prove what they’ve done. Once they’re a DofE participant, their Leader will set up their eDofE account – and they’re then ready to start choosing their activities and setting their objectives. They can sign in to eDofE from any page of our website (the box at the top) or by going to DofE.org/e-DofE – click on the link for desktop or mobile versions. If they get stuck, the eDofE Technical support line can be reached on eDofE (this is not for general DofE programme queries – talk to your child’s Leader for these). If they have lost their sign-in details (sent when their Leader activated their account), they can click on the [Forgot your password] link or [further assistance] link on edofe.org.
5: General support: Ask them on a regular basis how their DofE activities are going. You will probably be aware of what they are doing for two or three of the four sections (five at Gold level), as you may provide transport, pay a bill or provide other support. But what about the other section(s)? Keep an eye on the passage of time – ask if they have to complete their activities by a certain date. When do they have to have their Assessor’s report on what they have done submitted into eDofE? Do they have to make a presentation following their expedition, and have they got this in hand? Showing an active interest in their DofE progress will inevitably help them stay motivated and see them achieve their Award.
