The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award aims to provide an enjoyable,

challenging and rewarding programme of personal

development for young people, which is of the highest quality and

widest reach.

The Aim of the Award

Vision

To be universally recognised and widely adopted as the best programme for the

personal development of young people

• Non-competitive• Available to all• Voluntary• Flexible• Balanced

• Progressive• Achievement

Focused• Marathon not a

Sprint• Personal

Development• Enjoyable!

10 Key Principles

What’s in it for Young People

What’s in it for young people?

• Self Belief• Self Confidence• A sense of identity• Independence of thought and action• A sense of responsibility• An awareness of their potential• New talents and abilities

What’s in it for young people?

• An understanding of strengths and weaknesses

• The ability to plan and use time effectively• The ability to learn from and give to others in

the community• New relationships• Skills, including problem solving,

presentation and communication• The ability to lead and work as part of a team

The Award At a Glance

The Award and its Operational Structures

Participants

Award Groups

Operating Authorities

10 RegionalAward Offices

The Patronand Trustees

UK AwardHead Office

Local award committees

National and Regional Advisory Committees

General CouncilLinkInternational

AwardAccess and Assisting

Organisations

Operating Authorities (OA)

• OA’s obtain a licence to run the Award. Units and groups deliver the Award.

• An Award Officer runs the OA usually supported by an administrator (s), fundraiser (s), development worker (s).

• OA’s include LEA’s, Voluntary and Uniformed organisations.

OA’s have Roles and Responsibilities:

• Child Protection Policies• Health and Safety Requirements• Risk Assessment• Approval of Trainers,

Supervisors, Assessors• Issuing Record Books• Approval of Completed Awards• Checking on quality • Safeguard Aims and standards

of the Award

Roles and Responsibilities

Benefits to Organisations

Award Resource Materials

Handbook

Navigation

Three Levels of AwardBronze Silver Gold

Entry at 14 with some discretion

allowedEarliest age for

completion 14yrs 6 months

Age of entry 15 years, some

discretion for Bronze Award

holdersEarliest age for

completion 15yrs 6 months

(16yrs for a direct entrant)

Earliest age to start 16 years

and no discretion

Earliest age for completion 17yrs (17yrs 6 months for a

direct entrant)

All Awards must be completed by the Participants 25th birthday

Bronze Award

Service Skills Physical Recreation

3 Months 3 Months 3 Months

An additional 3 months must be undertaken in any of these Sections

Expedition 2 Days / 1 Night

6 Hours of planned activity

Silver AwardService Skills Physical

Recreation

6 Months One Section for 3 months and the other for 6 Months

Direct Entrants – an additional 6 months in either the Service or the longer

(skills or Physical Recreation) Section

Expedition 3 Days / 2 Night

7 Hours of planned activity

Gold AwardService Skills Physical

Recreation

12 Months One Section for 12 months and the other for 6 Months

Direct Entrants – an additional 6 months in either the Service or the longer

(Skills or Physical Recreation) Section

Expedition - 4 Days / 3Night

8 Hours of planned activity

How it WorksTo gain an Award young people have to do four activities, five at Gold

• Service

• Skills

• Physical Recreation

• Expedition

• Residential Project

Activity ChoicesActivities have been designated to Sections and can only be counted towards that Section of the Award.

Activities not obvious or listed, check the Programmes File, Website, Operating Authority or Regional Office.

New Activities not listed that a participant wants to do the Award will look at accrediting it. Check it out!

General Conditions 1

• The choice of activities is that of the participant’s

• Activities should offer a realistic challenge with attainable targets

• Each activity at each level may be changed once• Sectional Certificates are available at each level• Activities undertaken in the 3 months prior to

entry or with an Access organisation can count.

The purchase on an entrance pack signifies

the commencement of an Award

General Conditions 2

• The Award must be undertaken in personal or ‘non-directed time’

• Activities may be vocational but must not be a requirement of education or work – cannot get paid!

• Qualifications gained during directed or work time may count but….. the minimum time involvement must be completed in personal time

Movin’ On!• Participants may start on a Section of the

next Award prior to completing their existing Award provided….

The have a record book pack for the next Award They have completed that Section in the

previous Award They are above the minimum age of entry for

the next Award They are not working on all three Awards at the

same time!

One to Remember!

Where necessary, participants may choose to change the activity undertaken once in each Section at any time during participation

Both should be recorded in the Record Book

The two periods of participation should add up to at least the minimum time requirement for the particular section

Assessment

EffortPerseveranceProgress

25

The Award

Programme

Questions?