Lifelong Skills with The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

25 students from Compass International School Doha have been presented with their Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Bronze certificates and badges.  Compass International School introduced the Award in 2015 and has seen a considerable increase in participation in the 2 years the Award has been running.

This year, in addition to a new crop of 20 Year 10 Bronze participants, there are 25 students participating at the Silver level of the Award, most of whom will be embarking on the trip of a lifetime trekking in the Nepal Himalayas in June 2018 to fulfill the Adventurous Journey section of the Award.

The Award is an internationally recognised programme for young people, building their skills to equip them for life and work. By creating opportunities for young people to develop skills, get physically active, give service and experience adventure, the Award can play a critical role in their development.

In addition to the Adventurous Journey, participants need to complete Service, Skill and Physical Recreation activities, and at Gold level, a Residential Project.  Participating in the Award develops qualities in young people that are as valuable in life today as when the Award was first launched.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was founded in 1956 by Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award equips young people for life. It is the world’s leading youth achievement award. In 2015 more than 1.1 million young people around the world took part in the Award in over 140 countries and territories. Since the Award’s launch 60 years ago, it has inspired millions of young people to transform their lives. By creating opportunities for young people to develop skills, get physically active, give service and
experience adventure, the Award can play a critical role in their development outside the classroom. It also allows their achievement to be consistently recognised worldwide, giving young people unique international accreditation of their experiences.

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award is transforming individuals, communities and societies around the world. Young people who do the Award become more confident and resilient, and develop skills in areas such as communication, problem solving and leadership. This in turn impacts on their communities, who see improvements in areas including employability, health and wellbeing, and educational attainment.

The Award offers a bronze, silver and gold level, which get progressively more challenging. All levels of the award include volunteering, improving a skill, taking part in a physical recreation and completing an expedition with the timescales getting longer and tasks getting harder as you progress through the levels. Participants need to exhibit many qualities to complete the Award, which is where transferable skills are learned. To complete the award, perseverance, dedication, stamina, organisational and commitment skills are just some of the qualities required from the participant. The Award can improve a CV and college or university application, enhancing the chances of securing a place or job.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is unique in that it throws young people into different situations to those offered in the classroom often requiring teamwork, collaboration, resilience and communication. These challenging experiences will provide lifelong memories. The Award is designed to push participants beyond their comfort zone, and into situations which develop life skills invaluable whatever path life takes them.