New Leaflet: The YMCA & The International Award

Ever since its launch in 1956, the Award has appealed to the YMCA. A new leaflet, edited by the International Award Association, is now available in the German Award's online “Bibliothek”.

Ever since its launch in 1956, the Award has appealed to the YMCA. The Award Programme is based on the concept of individual challenge and enables young people to take responsibility for their own development.

The Award is a balanced programme, which complements the YMCA’s mission to help people grow in body, mind and spirit. It does this by encouraging leadership and life skills, through self-development, challenge and adventure. Activities undertaken within YMCA units can be used as part of an individual’s Award Programme.

The philosophies of YMCA and the Award Programme overlap in the areas of:

• Personal development

• Discovering your potential

• Individual challenge

• Links to the wider world through community activity and service

• Wide ranging extra-curricular activities

• Developing responsible citizens of the world

• Learning life skills – persistence, team work, communication, problem solving

“The Award is an effective volunteer development programme which can be well applied within the YMCA. By working together we can unite our efforts at all levels, from service delivery at the grassroots to proactive participation in the development of national or European youth polices.”
><em>Vardan Hambardzumyan, Regional Secretary, YMCA Europe<em>