The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is a registered charity in the United Kingdom which administers an award (also known as The Duke of Edinburgh's Award or D of E) for personal achievement that can be obtained by anyone aged from 14 to 25. Around 225,000 participants are taking part in the Award programme at any time, although only half obtain an Award, taking on average around a year.

History

A pilot award scheme "for Boys" started in 1956, with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as chairman. The award borrowed from the Moray Badge, instituted at Gordonstoun School by its headmaster, Kurt Hahn, in 1934, and the County Badge adopted in Morayshire in 1941. The first Gold Awards were made in 1958, when a parallel scheme "for Girls" was piloted, and the charity was established in 1959. A combined scheme for "Young People" aged 14 to 21 was launched in 1969, and extended to those up to 25 in 1980.

The Award

The Award itself has three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. To obtain an award, participants must demonstrate achievement at the appropriate level in four sections. The actual activities that can count towards the award are numerous and vast:

• Service: helping the community, for example with a charity;
• Skills: a hobby, skill, or interest, for example showing progress with a musical instrument;
• Physical recreation: sports, dance, or fitness; and
• Expeditions: can be by bicycle, horseback, water, but most commonly on foot. The expedition on foot can be taken almost anywhere in the countryside, with popular places being the national parks, particularly the Lake District, Dartmoor, the Peak District and Snowdonia.

Participants aiming for the Gold Award must also take part in one additional section:

• Residential project

The Award, according to its Key principles, is non-competitive, available to all, voluntary, flexible, balanced, progressive, achievement-focused, a marathon not a sprint, personal development, and enjoyable.

External link

• http://www.theaward.org/