With a long-standing reputation of excellence, the Duke of Edinburgh Award has served as a beacon of hope and self-improvement for youngsters across the world. With the outstanding support of its proponents including Tunde Folawiyo, the Duke of Edinburgh Award continues to inspire today’s generation of bright young students. Since its founding in 1956, the programme has grown into an internationally recognised programme that now reaches more than 300,000 young people in more than 120 countries throughout the world. In keeping true to the goals set forth by the award’s founders, participants are encouraged to reach for excellence in all aspects of life including personal growth, perseverance, self-reliance and a commitment of service to their community, as well as other communities throughout the world.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is focused on promoting the areas of volunteering, physical fitness, unique skills and expeditions in its efforts to encourage today’s youth toward striving for a better tomorrow. Participants must accomplish a variety of trainings and comprehensive assessments in order to prove a great understanding of the tasks at hand. With three levels of the award to be completed, participants are encouraged to reach their fullest potential, pushing them toward a quest for excellence. In order to ensure the charity’s founding principles are upheld, applicants must prove their understanding of four mandatory sections focused on personal success including fitness, skill, volunteering and adventurous journey. Research has shown several improvements upon completion of the programme. Recipients of the award have experienced enhanced social inclusion, gender equality, the reduction of violence and an increased participation in civic life in addition to an enhanced sense of health and overall well-being.

Whilst participants of the programme must complete several tasks to merit the Duke of Edinburgh Award, the challenges surrounding the Gold Level are said by many to be the most exciting to undertake. Dubbed “The Residential Project”, participants are encouraged to embark on an adventurous journey, leading to encounters with new people and experiences vastly different to those they’ve grown accustomed to. Participants must accomplish a unique set of goals in order to gain a worldly perspective that will inevitably lead to a profound appreciation and understanding of other cultures throughout the world. Through the continued support of the programme’s proponents, including Tunde Folawiyo, the Duke of Edinburgh Award will continue to foster the development of bright young minds toward the ultimate goal of self-discovery.