Jim Kershaw strongly believes in giving back to the community, and he wants to instil the same belief in the next generation of Canadians. That’s one reason why Kershaw, senior vice president and regional manager for Western Canada with TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. in Vancouver, helps out with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program, which encourages youth to volunteer, be active and challenge themselves personally.

“In Canada, our community works as well as it does because of Canadians’ natural tendencies to step forward and help each other,” Kershaw says. “We need to do our part to nurture that and ensure our young people are recognizing that it’s part of the responsibility of being a productive member of Canadian society to do your part.”

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an international self-development program for youth between the ages of 14 and 25. Participants pursue gold, silver and bronze awards by achieving goals in four areas: community service, personal skill development, physical recreation and adventurous journey. Says Rick Ashbee, national executive director of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program in Toronto: “We’re trying to create some well-rounded young people with an interest in giving back to their community.”

Kershaw, who is now president of the British Columbia and Yukon division of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program and a member of the program’s national board, got involved in the program more than five years ago. He began volunteering when TD Waterhouse launched a national outreach initiative in partnership with the program, aiming to ensure that underprivileged youth and youth with disabilities have an opportunity to participate.

Kershaw has been in his current role at TD Waterhouse since 2004, and previously worked for many years as an investment advisor. As a member of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program’s board, Kershaw helps with decisions related to the program’s governance, funding and growth.

Kershaw has been particularly impressed with how the program assists the at-risk youth that TD Waterhouse’s initiative was targeting: “[The program] develops them as young people, and gets them to realize the importance of being involved in their communities, the importance of developing their own skills and, quite frankly, the excitement and the adventure of going out and doing something you never otherwise would have done. We’ve had tremendous feedback, in which the kids have indicated to us, in many cases, that it’s almost life-altering.”

Founded 55 years ago, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program operates in 126 countries around the world. In Canada, where it was launched in 1963, roughly 37,000 young people are enrolled in the program. To earn a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, candidates must meet specific criteria in each of the four categories. At the gold level, the most demanding, the program requires a total of 90 hours of community service, 50 hours of physical activity, an 18-month skill-development program and a four-day expedition or exploration trip. Those pursuing the gold award must also participate in a leadership program away from home over a period of at least five days.

Community service can include volunteering at a seniors’ home or a homeless shelter, or extracurricular activities at school such as being on the student council or helping out with the school’s yearbook. Examples of skills training include music, computers, crafts and graphic arts. “The young people basically set their own interests,” says Ashbee.

Research shows that the positive effects of the program continue in the years after participants have earned awards. In a 2009 survey of current and past program participants, 86% indicated they wanted to continue volunteering.

The results also showed that a vast majority of participants felt more confident, were performing better in school and had developed skills they believed would help them reach their goals.

Kershaw attends and speaks at the award ceremonies: “It’s very inspiring to hear the stories that the kids tell about their journey, and what they’ve done through this program,” he says. “At the end of the event, I sit in my car for a moment and just ponder what I’ve experienced. It’s powerful.

“It would be pretty neat one day,” he adds, “to meet one of these young people later in life and see the difference that they’re making. And be able to look back and say that in a very small way, you were a part of that.” IE