The Off Grid Ark Is Now a Duke of Edinburgh Registered Activity Provider
(Bronze, Silver & Gold Adventurous Journeys Supported Here just 40 minutes north of Ottawa in Western Quebec.)
We’re proud to share some exciting news: The Off Grid Ark has officially been accepted as a Duke of Edinburgh Registered Activity Provider (RAP). This means we can now support youth in completing their Adventurous Journey (AJ) requirements at the Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels — all from our 164-acre off-grid property here in Western Quebec.
This is a meaningful milestone for us. For nearly 20 years, I’ve watched young people step into the woods, face a real challenge, and walk away different — more confident, more capable, and more aware of their strengths. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is built on those same outcomes, which makes this partnership a natural fit.
What the Duke of Edinburgh Award Is Really About
At its core, the Duke of Edinburgh Award is a self-development program for young people ages 14 to 24. It’s not about being the strongest, the fastest, or the most experienced. It’s about showing up, trying something new, sticking with it, and discovering what you’re capable of when the world goes beyond the classroom.
You can read more about the framework on the official Duke of Edinburgh Award website.: https://www.dukeofed.org
The Award is built around four pillars (five at the Gold level):
Skills
Physical Recreation
Voluntary Service
Adventurous Journey
Residential Project (Gold level)
The Adventurous Journey portion is often the most memorable. It asks youth to work as a team, travel a purposeful route, learn new skills outdoors, overcome adversity, and reflect on what they accomplished. It’s structured, supportive, and intentionally challenging — exactly the kind of environment where real growth happens.
Why the Award Matters for Youth
The value of the Duke of Ed goes far beyond a badge or certificate. Young people who complete the program consistently develop:
Resilience and confidence
Leadership and teamwork skills
Problem-solving under pressure
A stronger sense of responsibility and independence
Those qualities follow them into every part of life — school, sports, relationships, and the workplace.
Colleges and universities also recognize the Award as evidence of grit and character. For employers, it signals initiative, reliability, and follow-through. In many ways, completing the Duke of Ed becomes a small but powerful proof point that a young person knows how to set goals, work with others, and finish what they start.
How The Off Grid Ark Supports Adventurous Journeys
Our job as a RAP isn’t to “run a trip for them.” It’s to guide, support, and create an environment where participants can meet the Duke of Ed requirements through real teamwork and real challenge.
We provide the land, the structure, and the coaching — and the participants do the work.
Here's how it aligns at each level:
Bronze Adventurous Journey
1 day practice journey, 2 days - 1 night qualifying journey, 6 hours of purposeful effort each day
Introductory-level navigation, teamwork, and outdoor skills on our private trail network. We rotate leadership roles, teach map and compass fundamentals, and support teams as they travel their planned route for the required time. It’s a safe, structured way for youth to experience challenge without being overwhelmed.
Silver Adventurous Journey
1 day- 1 night practice journey, 3 days - 2 nights qualifying journey, 7 hours of purposeful effort each day.
Longer distances and more decision-making responsibilities. Participants build on their Bronze foundations — making route choices, solving problems as a team, and adapting to terrain, weather, and timing. We’re there to supervise, mentor, and ensure safety, while giving them the space to lead.
Gold Adventurous Journey & Gold Project
1 day- 1 night practice journey, 4 days - 3 nights qualifying journey, 8 hours of purposeful effort each day.
At the Gold level, the expectations rise. Journeys are more advanced, and participants take a stronger leadership role in planning and execution.
We also support 5-day/4-night Gold Residential Projects, where participants contribute to real off-grid stewardship and land-based projects here at The Ark — trail building, forestry work, off-grid systems maintenance, horse care, environmental projects, and seasonal tasks that support the property and the broader experience.
Youth get to live, work, and contribute in an environment that is genuinely off-grid and full of hands-on learning.
If you’d like full details on how we support Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels, visit our Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey page: https://offgridark.com/duke-of-edinburgh
Why Our Property Works So Well for the Duke of Ed
The Off Grid Ark offers something rare:
A wilderness-style experience, with real challenge, only an hour from Ottawa.
Participants have access to:
More than 10 km of private forest trails
A safe but secluded environment for navigation
Off-grid systems that spark curiosity and learning
Canoeing, hikes, and outdoor skills training
Designated forest campsites
Structured supervision grounded in decades of experience
We’ve spent years building programs that emphasize teamwork, leadership, and experiential learning. The Duke of Ed framework fits seamlessly into what we already do — and strengthens it.
A Partner in Their Growth (Not a Tour Operator)
The Duke of Edinburgh Award isn’t about being entertained.
It’s about being challenged.
It’s about learning to lead, learning to follow, and learning to trust yourself.
Our role is simple:
Keep youth safe.
Create meaningful, real experiences.
Support them as they build confidence outdoors.
Meet the exact requirements of the Duke of Ed framework.
Whether a participant is arriving for Bronze or stepping up to the Gold level, our goal is the same: to help them leave stronger, more capable, and proud of what they achieved.
Moving Forward
This new RAP designation is an important step for us. It aligns with our long-term vision to serve youth, schools, families, and organizations through outdoor, challenge-based learning — the kind that changes people.
We’re looking forward to welcoming Duke of Edinburgh participants from across the region and helping them take the next step in their journey.
If you’d like to learn more about our Bronze, Silver, or Gold opportunities — including our new Gold Residential Project — you can reach out anytime through our website.
