- What is the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award?
- Why does the Award exist?
- Who is the Award for?
- Why should young people take part in the Award?
- Why do employers acknowledge the Award?
- How is the Award changing the education system in Germany?
- Is the Award suitable for my educational institution?
What is the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award?
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a global award for young people that encourages them to develop their potential and grow as individuals. Through volunteering, developing universal skills, participating in sports and discovering a sense of adventure and team spirit, the programme inspires young people to get involved, push themselves and find out what they are made of. You can participate in the programme between the ages of 14 and 24. The Bronze, Silver and Gold levels require an increasing amount of time, stamina and personal responsibility. Depending on the level, participation takes between 6 and 18 months. Upon successful completion, participants receive an international award that is highly regarded by employers.
Participants choose activities that interest them in the areas of Volunteering, Physical Education and Skills and set themselves SMART goals. They also plan an Adventurous Journey lasting several days in nature, which they carry out and evaluate in a team. The process of setting goals, planning how to achieve them, implementing the plan and reflecting on it is accompanied by an Award Leader. Adults with the appropriate qualifications can undergo the training to become Award Leaders. The focus of the training is on mentoring that supports the Award Scheme and on a growth-oriented mindset that reflects the promise ‘There is more in you than you think!’.
Voices of Award Leaders and participantsDocumentationActivitiesInformation about expeditionsOur Award Operators
Why does the Award exist?
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was founded in 1956 to promote the personal and social development of young people. The founders of the Award, the German experiential educator Kurt Hahn and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, wanted to empower young people by offering them opportunities for self-development and responsibility. Their aim was to mould personality and character through challenging and varied activities.
Who is the Award for?
Our association licenses educational institutions in Germany that wish to implement the Award program on their own responsibility.
Licensed Award Operators can be private and public educational institutions such as schools, boarding schools, universities, youth clubs, companies or vocational training centres.
Young people between the ages of 14 and 24 can then take part in the Award program through their local educational institution. As the expeditions are carried out without direct supervision, participation at Bronze level is only possible from the age of 14 onwards.
Why should young people take part in the Award?
The Award is fun, strengthens friendships and creates memories that last a lifetime. It improves self-esteem by experiencing success and self-efficacy. It develops and strengthens important socio-emotional skills for life and work. It strengthens physical and mental health, promotes self-regulation and thus contributes to emotional well-being. Through volunteering, it promotes social cohesion and contributes to the realisation of sustainability goals.
Why do employers acknowledge the Award?
In countries where the Award is well established, employers specifically look for applicants who have completed several levels of the Award. In their experience, the skills that participants acquire in the Award help them to contribute effectively to the company. These include self-confidence, resilience, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, planning and creativity.
Employers recognize the skills the Award brings to a company
How is the Award changing the education system in Germany?
- Equal opportunities: The Award is open to all young people, regardless of their social background. This helps to promote equal opportunities in the education system.
- Non-formal education and experiential learning: The Award emphasises the importance of holistic personal development. It strengthens young people’s self-efficacy by challenging them in the areas of commitment, fitness, talents and adventurous journeys.
- Strengthening the all-day school, networking with extracurricular learning locations and anchoring a growth mindset: The Award motivates young people to take part in the extracurricular programme, enhances the extracurricular profile of educational institutions and contributes to networking with extracurricular learning locations. Through recognition in the school environment, a growth-oriented attitude is strengthened in the school community.
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Is the Award suitable for my educational institution?
The Award is suitable for every educational institution.
This is because it ties in individually with the different structures of educational institutions. We have compiled implementation concepts across all federal states and types of educational institutions in order to visualise the diversity of the Award.
You can find the case studies here – we will be happy to put you in touch with our Award providers if you have any questions:
Case Studies
