The Duke of Edinburgh Award
The Duke of Ed Award is an international self-development program for youth aged 14 to 24, which is currently offered in over 140 countries around the world. 44,000 Canadians are enrolled right now. This barrier-free program is available to everyone, regardless of background. The Duke of Ed Award must be earned, not won, which is a very important distinction. It can only be earned through consistent and dedicated effort across 4 or 5 different aspects of one's life, over an extended period of time. It is a non-competitive, self-directed, personal development challenge which rewards individual improvement and achievement. And since it reflects one's own interests and passions, it's fun!
The Duke of Ed Award will help you develop as an individual. You will learn about goal setting and positive life choices. You will learn to face, and overcome challenges. You will develop confidence and self esteem. The Duke of Ed Award will help you develop important life skills, and will acknowledge your achievement in a non-academic setting.
The Duke of Ed Award looks great on college and university applications, and resumes. It shows commitment, dedication, responsibility, hard work, and achievement. It says that you can set goals and achieve them; that you are an ambitious person. It also demonstrates that you are a well-rounded individual who excels at a wide variety of interests and skills. Most of all, it proves you are a leader.
The Duke of Ed Award has 3 levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Within each level there are 3 sections (Physical, Skill, and Service) where one must accrue a specified number of hours over a specified number of weeks towards a stated goal. In addition each participant must complete an Adventurous Journey. Gold participants must also complete a Residential Project. Which level you sign up for is determined by your age, and how long each level takes is determined by which level you've completed previously, if any. Bronze takes 6 months, Silver takes 6 months if you've completed Bronze, or 12 months if you haven't, and Gold takes 12 months if you've completed Silver, or 18 months if you haven't. These are minimum timeframes; you can take as long as you like, so long as you complete the award before your 25th birthday. You must be 14 to join Bronze, 15 to join Silver, and 16 to join Gold.
Visit Duke of Ed - Get Started for a brief overview and description of each level. Program Benefits will outline the key benefits of this program. For more detailed information about the Award, visit Guidelines where you will find several useful links which collectively explain everything about the program. And finally, Login to Register a New Account as an Award Participant. This is also the site you will visit regularly to sign in and access your Online Record Book for logging. For a quick and easy reference to all the program requirements, see this convenient chart.
