Just a question for the masses, is anybody actively delivering the NNAS Award Scheme through their Squadron? And how are you running it? A series of evenings for training, plus a practical session prior to assessment? 1 weekend including assessment? How successful has it been and how much interest are the cadets showing for it? Are you finding your DofE groups run a bit smoother as a result?
Just interested to here people’s experiences and share a bit of good practice!
For those who don’t know, the National Navigation Award Scheme, NNAS, is a relatively straight forward award scheme which is well within the scope of delivery at Bronze level for cadets on your squadron. The syllabus is very straight forward and deliverable with a BEL (or higher!).
Full details on their website (or, I’d imagine, through most WATTOs!) http://www.nnas.org.uk/
We have done it once or twice; some parade night sessions (inc a practical) and then an assessment. A reasonable amount of interest, but I can’t say I’ve noticed any improvement in DofE. It’s pretty easy to administer and the ATC has a ‘corporate’ membership so it only cost sqns for certificates and badges.
I’ve run it this year and I forgot that I’d not sorted out paying for the certificates (thanks for the reminder)
Any further navigation training is going to make the participants more confident with their navigation on DofE Expeditions but obviously you should ensure they are adequately prepared “in a similar environment prior to the Qualifying expedition”.
If you wanted to use NNAS as part of those preparations then I think you’d be along the right lines using Bronze Level NNAS as training towards Silver Level Expeditions, Silver NNAS at Gold Level. (Interesting to note that the navigation requirements for NNAS are almost the same as those required for WGL) and using Gold (if you have the staff) for those Gold DofE Holders.
I created some guidance documents a couple of years ago which have since been updated further by my WATTO for 2013 along with a simple assessment form for Bronze Level (top marks if you can guess what my inspiration was?)
They can be found on sharepoint by using the link below.
Also make sure you register as a “centre” either at Wing or Sqn level using the HQAC Membership as it doesn’t cost money. I believe the staff at NACATC Windemere co-ordinate that now!
I’ve run a fair few NNAS courses both for cadets and at work. For cadets I run it as a wing weekend once a year. For the past two years we’ve filled the centre at Windermere so there is definitely demand. We run it as a fairly intense weekend from Friday night through to Sunday afternoon. The first evening is for a few intro bits of theory, then we go out for a training walk all day on the Saturday, they do route cards on the Saturday evening and the assessment on the Sunday.
On the whole I think I like the scheme, it gives a good structure to learning about navigation and gets it done in one block. However, I’m always really conscious that navigation can be boring and I think as an organisation (or at least what I see of it) over does navigation, I think we put off more cadets then attract to walking because we get fixated on skills like navigation. I think we mean well by doing this (“By learning to navigate, you’ll have the skills to go off walking safely by yourself”) - but actually I think we need to enthuse young people about walking and being outside first.
Batfink: I always invite your wing to my NNAS weekend - if you want to come and observe/instruct you’d be more than welcome! Get in touch with me if you want the details!