Now the quiet and unassuming teenagers are preparing to meet fully fledged royalty when Prince Edward makes a flying visit to Dubbo next week to recognise local indigenous girls involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards program.

Nakellah, Glenda, Billie-Anne and Courtney are in the running to meet and greet HRH The Earl of Wessex when he attends an official function at Western Plains Zoo.

They have been placed on a short list and two will become royal guides when The Earl tours Dubbo's premier tourist attraction.

The prospect of shaking hands with royalty is mind boggling for the girls but they are taking it all in their stride and carefully considering what to do and say.

Nakellah, Glenda, Billie-Anne and Courtney have been involved in Sistaspeak, a successful youth mentoring program incorporating the positive and effective personal development activities of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Together with five other classmates they have been training as zoo guides as part of preparations to achieve the first stage of the award program.

Zoo Friends volunteer Ian Cox - a retired teacher and former Delroy deputy principal - is tutoring the girls who have so far learnt about lizards and rhinos and helped to hand-feed giraffes.

"The are tall and graceful animals but have revolting dribbly tongues,'' the girls said.

"We liked the lizards best and enjoyed touching them.''

During their once-in-a-lifetime brush with royalty the girls will team their school uniforms with special shirts, supplied by Country Energy, incorporating the Dubbo College and Duke of Edinburgh Award emblems.

The official function at Zoofari Lodge will be attended by 17 Delroy Campus girls involved in Sistaspeak.

They will be accompanied by Aboriginal education assistant Gai Dundas and western region quality teaching consultant Yvonne Hill.

"Sistaspeak is an inspiring and motivating program that has made an enormous difference to the girls by boosting their knowledge, self esteem and confidence,'' Ms Hill said.

"Participants now realise the sky is the limit and they are capable of achieving anything they want.''