The Award is a fully inclusive program with no social, political, or religious affiliations. The founders designed a program that challenges young people and keeps them gainfully engaged during their teenage and early adult years. The Award is meant to be an activity one undertakes; it is not an organization. Simply put, you don’t join the Award—you do the Award. It has proven to be a very powerful youth development tool for adults keen to work with young people.
How is the Award Achieved?
To achieve an Award, each young person must learn a skill, improve their physical well-being, volunteer in their community, and experience a team adventure in a new environment. All participants are supported by a network of adult Award Leaders, Assessors, and Supervisors.
The key elements of the Award are:
- The Award is open to all young people aged 14 to 24.
- Three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold – each progressively more challenging.
- Four Sections: Physical Recreation, Skills, Voluntary Service, Adventurous Journey, and the Gold Residential Project (Gold Level only).
- Achieving an Award recognizes individual goal setting and self-improvement through persistence and achievement.
Time Requirements:
- Bronze – minimum 6 months
- Silver – minimum 6 months if Bronze is completed, otherwise 12 months for direct entrants
- Gold – minimum 12 months if Silver is completed, otherwise 18 months for direct entrants
Through this challenging journey of self-discovery, our participants:
- Are equipped and empowered to achieve their personal best
- Learn to take responsibility for their goals and choices
- Become connected to and actively engaged within their immediate community
- Make a real difference to society through their positive contributions and involvement
- Learn to persevere and overcome barriers to success
- Learn important life skills
- Increase their career opportunities
For more information regarding the Award, we encourage parents to look at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award website.
