FAQs
- General Questions
- Technical Questions
What is the YOUNG BUDS AWARD?
Young Buds Award is designed to empower children with essential life skills while fostering a deep connection with nature, improve well-being, and develop meaningful relationships to create a transformative experience that nurtures happy, confident children.
Schools sign up and their students can choose from a range of age appropriate challenges. These challenges are designed to enhance their confidence by building a solid set of practical life skills, encouraging them to foster meaningful relationships, build strong social skills, and develop empathy and kindness towards others as well as opportunities to reconnect with nature and their local area, all aimed to enhance the holistic well-being of each child
Who are the YOUNG BUDS creators?
A dedicated group of educators, nature enthusiasts, and engaged parents came together with a shared vision - to enhance the traditional education model and provide primary-aged children with the essential life skills, nature connection, and personal growth opportunities they need to thrive.
We are passionate about empowering the next generation with skills and abilities beyond those learned in the classroom. We are also happy to hear your thoughts on the award and how we can continue to improve for the benefit of the children.
Who is the YOUNG BUDS AWARD for?
Currently Young Buds awards are available for ages 4-14 year olds. Any school worldwide can sign up to join and give their children the opportunity to engage in age appropriate tasks to enhance their holistic development.
The Award is flexible in how it can be implemented at your school and the challenges can also be bespoke to your locality.
Why should we sign up?
THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS TO SIGN UP! We all want the next generation to have the best start in life and this Award can help grow them into happy confident children.
Acquiring practical life skills is essential for fostering independence and confidence in young people. Well-being is a critical concern, especially as numerous challenges affect our children today.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted their development, limiting access to enriching activities and social interactions. Many young learners experienced isolation, missing out on vital hands-on experiences. Our group has recognized the urgent need to bridge these gaps and equip the next generation with the tools and resilience needed to thrive in an increasingly complex world.
Reconnecting with nature will assist with stress and increase wellbeing and also gives children the opportunity to enjoy the natural environment. If they enjoy it they will look after it, and our world needs the next generation to do just that!
When can we start?
The award programme is flexible to start at any time. We do recommend that the programme runs over a school academic year, however it can be flexible and we can work with you to make Young Buds successful with your learners.
Alternatively, some schools like to run the program as an after school club so sign up could be every term or when the club sign ups take place.
How does my school get involved?
Contact us to arrange an online meeting to discuss and support your school with joining the Young Buds Award. The award is designed to be flexible and can be adjusted to your needs. All resources, including letters to parents to introduce the programme as well as presentations, will be made available to you to ensure a smooth, hassle free on boarding experience. Please see "How it works" for more details or contact us.
How does my child get involved?
As the approval process involves the school, your child will need to join via their school. If the school is not currently running the Young Buds Award please reach out to your school, and also to us, and we can work together to make the award available to your child and their friends.
How long does it take to complete each level?
Each level is designed to take approximately one academic year to complete. You will need to submit 8 challenges and are able to upload videos, documents or photos to show off your new skills. It is not a race to finish each level, rather an opportunity to practice a new skill until you are confident you are able to complete the challenge independently.
What sort of challenges are involved in the Award?
The challenges vary, depending on the level. Each level age appropriate opportunities and learning experiences to enhance the children’s skills in 3 important areas:
Developing life skills to ensure children build confidence and independence with the ability to look after themselves is key to the Young Buds Award. Challenges such as cooking, domestic chores, first aid, happiness, and safety awareness are available to prepare children for their future.
Nature connection experiences are also at the heart of the Award. Spending time in nature is essential for a child’s well-being and development. Guided by our passionate nature enthusiasts, children engage in outdoor adventures, learn about the environment, and develop a profound connection with the natural world.
Nurturing the well-being of children is also an integral part of the Award. Each level incorporates challenges that develop friendships, empathy towards others, relaxation techniques, and social-emotional learning to help children build resilience, self-awareness, and positive relationships with themselves and others.
How many challenges do I need to complete?
Each Level of the Award has 10 challenges to choose from. You need to complete 8 of these challenges.
Are there costs involved?
There is no cost to a school to join. Parents pay a minimal fee to join which gives their child access to the age appropriate challenges and on completion, a certificate and a badge to celebrate their success.
When will I received my certificate and medal?
After you have submitted 8 of the challenges and they have been approved you will receive your certificate and medal to celebrate your success.
Who do I contact for help with my login?
You will receive an email with your login details, please check your spam folder if you can't find it. If you are still having any difficulties using the website please contact admin@youngbudsaward.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
I have my login, now what do I do?
We are excited to have you start your Young Buds journey! Login to the website and follow the following steps:
What do I need to do to submit a challenge?
You need to provide evidence of your new skills! To do this upload a maximum of 6 photos, or 1 short video but ensure the max file size is no bigger than 100MB in total. If you would like to show us more you can! Simply send us links to a storage space such as google or dropbox. Here are some instructions of how to set these up.
Why can I not submit my challenge?
The system can accept up to 100MB or a max of 6 files to show off your news skills you have learned for each challenge. Check you are not trying to upload more than 6 files, or more than 100MB. If you have more to show us we would love to see, please check out the instructions of how to share flives via google drive or drop box.
I have submitted a challenge but it is still “pending”? What should I do?
When you complete a challenge an email is sent to your "approve" to review and approve. Please politely remind them to review and give you feedback. If they have not received a notification please ask them to contact us at admin@youngbudsaward.com. To see who your "approver is please login to your account and click "dashboard."
My challenge has not been approved, what do I do?
If your challenge has not been approved you will need to resubmit your photos and reflections about the challenge. You have one more try to submit as much information to show your approver you know how to do the task independently. Face to face communication is always good, so try to find some to politely ask your approver why it was not and what you need to do to have your challenge approved. You can do it!
Do I need to wait for one challenge to be approved before starting another?
No, you can be working on multiple challenges at the same time. Some challenges have to be done over a period of time so have a look through and choose which challenges you would like to work on and work out when you will be able to do them.
How can I make a suggestion to enhance the Young Buds Award?
We are always open to suggestions and ideas to improve the Award. Please send any ideas to admin@youngbudsaward.com Thank you for your feedback!
