The Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award
Partnered by The Outward Bound Trust
Outdoor residential
The Mark Scott Award starts with a five-day residential at Outward Bound Loch Eil. You’ll be in a group with up to 14 S6 pupils from up to six schools near to where you live.
The residential is a mix of learning and adventure. Your outdoor activities could include rock climbing and abseiling, canoeing and wild camping. There will be some challenges, but you’ll leave with confidence, teamwork and project management skills. You’ll also have made new friends and have had a lot of fun.
Community project
After your residential you’ll start to work in a smaller group on a project that will help your local community. You’ll need to decide what you want to do, identify a community partner to help, fundraise any money needed and then deliver it.
You’ll meet your group regularly over the next few months to plan your project and you’ll have three days to deliver it. This is a real life project where you’ll be able to develop your leadership and business skills whilst helping others.
1996: The Award is inspired by the life of Mark Scott, a 16-year old schoolboy who was murdered in 1995 in an unprovoked sectarian attack.
In response to this tragic event, Mark’s parents, Niall and Judith Scott, established the Mark Scott Foundation to help young people to develop their talents.
1998: The trustees of the Mark Scott Foundation decided to develop the Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award and bring together young people often separated by their backgrounds, sectarianism, racism or territorialism.
The Outward Bound Trust has partnered and supported The Mark Scott Foundation from the very beginning of the Award.
More than 3,500 young people have now taken part in and benefited from the Award.
2012: Niall and Judith and the Mark Scott Foundation trustees decided that The Outward Bound Trust should take over full responsibility for developing and growing the Award.
2012-2015: A significant grant by the Scottish Government enabled us to increase the number of participants in the Award.
It recognised the value of the Award and provided a firm basis for us to reach hundreds of young people across the central belt of Scotland over
the coming years.
2022: this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Mark Scott Leadership for Life Award.
APPLY ONLINE HERE
Training Courses for 2023 will take place between the start of the Autumn term (approx 20th August) and up to and including the October Break (Mid October) - Schools (and therefore pupils) are allocated residential weeks in groups so that participants train with those from the same area and who they will then go on to partner with for the community project.
School week allocations will be posted here in the summer term when the courses are scheduled, please bookmark this page.
Successful applicants will be notified of the week of their attendance when their place is confirmed.
Please get in touch if you need dates before they are published here
The residential element of the award is an amazing and powerful adventure provided by our highly skilled instructors at our Loch Eil Centre near Fort William. Residentials take place in the autumn term.
To fit with participants’ workloads, they take place in the first half of the autumn term. Transport from the central belt is provided.
The Mark Scott Award starts with a five-day residential at Outward Bound Loch Eil where you will make the most of nature’s playground with activities like gorge scrambling, rock climbing, sailing and canoeing.
Classroom sessions (often using the “big classroom” outdoors) also teach you transferable business skills such as presentations, finance, project management and planning.
Participants tell us this learning is as priceless as the expedition sunrises.
It’s a lasting experience that you’ll never forget. And it’s an experience that gives you a confidence and skills boost. You’ll be in a group with up to 14 S6 pupils from schools near to where you live and you’ll be supported by our brilliant instructors.
Seeing what you can achieve together sets you up for the community project phase
Following the residential, the Award moves into the community project phase.
Working with your team and supported by staff from your residential you will learn how to draw up a plan for your project, take on tasks, raise funds to cover project tasks, have a go at leading the team, and pitch to win support for your project.
The project takes the skills you learned on residential and supercharges them so you’ll improve your communication and team working skills while putting your project management and problem solving abilities to the test.
The project you create and own will:
• Have a lasting and positive impact on your local community
• Take no more than 3 days to deliver
• Be much more than volunteering or fundraising for another organisation
