Taking part in the Award isn’t easy – it requires commitment over time – but it is simple to get started and after all your time and effort you will have achieved something special of which you can be proud and which universities and employers rate highly.
Welcome To Your Award Challenge
As an Award participant you will have the chance to:
- Design your own Award programme
- Set your own goals and record your progress
- Make a positive impact on the lives of others through community service
- Learn valuable practical and social skills for career development
- Take up the challenge of an adventurous journey
- Connect with other Award participants at home and abroad
You can continue with activities you’re already taking part in, such as sports
or volunteering, and count these towards achieving your Award, or your
Award could be an opportunity to try something new and develop a passion
for something different.
The Bronze Award is the first step to getting involved in The Duke of
Edinburgh’s International Award; you can continue your Award by getting
involved at Silver and then Gold levels.
The Gold Award is the final level of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award but it doesn’t need to be the end of your Award involvement. You could consider becoming an Award Leader, Adventurous Journey Supervisor or Assessor, or a supporter of the Award.
A message from the founder of the Award, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, Knight of the Garter (KG), Knight of the Thistle (KT):
Physical Recreation
The Physical Recreation section of the Award encourages you to improve your health and fitness, whatever your starting point.
You could choose to do a team sport, solo sport or any healthy activity. It could be something you already do regularly, have tried before or something completely new to you. You’ll build valuable team-skills and self-esteem—all while having great fun!
IMAGE: Horse riding (Napier, 2023)
Here’s a list of some Physical Recreation ideas that you could do or use as a starting point to create a programme of your own.
Ball sports
- Rugby
- Soccer
- Netball
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Handball
- Cricket
- Baseball
- Softball
- Hockey
- Tennis
- Squash
- Table-tennis
- Futsal
Athletics
- Running
- Jumping (high
or long) - Throwing (hammer, javelin, shot put)
- Biathlon, triathlon, heptathlon or decathlon
Winter sports
- Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Luge
- Ice skating
- Ice hockey
- Curling
Water sports
- Canoeing
- Kayaking
- Swimming
- Water polo
- Sailing
- Surfing
- Windsurfing
- Kite boarding
- Water skiing
- Diving
- Synchronised
swimming - Rowing
- Paddleboarding
Martial arts
- Karate
- Aikido
- Judo
- Kickboxing
- Boxing
- Tae kwon do
- Kung fu
- Fencing
- Kendo
Animal sports
- Horse riding
- Polo
Fitness activities
- Aerobics
- Running
- Skipping
- Walking
- Weight training
Adventure sports
- Rock climbing
- Mountaineering
- Parachuting
- Caving and
pot holing - Hang-gliding
- Paragliding
- Kite surfing
Miscellaneous
- Dancing
- Cycling
- Gymnastics
- Weightlifting
- Trampolining
- Wrestling
- Roller skating
- Skateboarding
- BMX
- Orienteering
- Badminton
- Ultimate Frisbee
Skills
Through the Skills section you can choose to improve on an existing skill or try something new. It’s all about having a go, learning something and getting better at it, giving yourself a sense of achievement and well-being. Tertiary educators and employers like to see that you have life skills too!
IMAGE: Learning trapping skills (Rotoroa Island, 2019)
Here’s a list of some Skills section ideas that you could do or use as a starting point to create a programme of your own.
Music
- Play an instrument
- Learn musical theory
- Sing
- Manage a music event
Arts and crafts
- Ceramics
- Clay modelling
- Embroidery
- Dressmaking
- Glass painting
- Jewellery making
- Calligraphy
- Drawing
- History of art
- Painting
- Photography
- Sculpture
- Graphic design
Nature and the environment
- Agriculture
- Aquarium keeping
- Astronomy
- Bee keeping
- Bird watching
- Conservation
- Dog training and handling
- Fishing
- Forestry
- Gardening
- Horticulture
- Animal care and handling
Games
- Billiards, snooker or pool
- Card games
- Chess
- Draughts
- Darts
- Backgammon
• Other table games - Other table games
Communication
- Film and video making
- Film studies
- Sign language
- Braille
- Foreign languages
- Newsletter and magazine production
- Reading
- Writing
- Presentation skills
- Public speaking and debating
- Digital media
- Journalism
- Information technology
- Website development
Sports related
- Officiate for a sport/span>
- Umpire or referee a sport<
- Sports equipment maintenance
- Sports ground maintenance
Life skills
- Business management
- Financial literacy
- Entrepreneurship
- Health awareness
Technical and vocational skills
- Accounting
- Hairdressing
- Vehicle maintenance
- Engineering
- Fashion
- Furniture making
- Furniture restoration
- Metal work
- Tailoring
- Carpentry
- Cookery
Performance skills
- Drama and theatre skills
- Circus skills
- Puppetry
Voluntary Service
Through the Service section, you get to volunteer in your community and see how your efforts can make a positive difference to the lives of others.
You’ll improve your skills in areas such as team work and communication, building self confidence as a result.
IMAGE: Community Planting (Flat Bush, 2023)
Here’s a list of some Service ideas that you could do or use as a starting point to create a programme of your own.
People in the community
- Visit people in need, such as elderly or disabled people, on a regular basis, to provide assistance with shopping, gardening or other domestic tasks, or simply keep them company
- Volunteer in hospitals and care centres
- Visit prisons or detention centres under the auspices of the proper authorities
- Help with a local community radio, newspaper or blog
- Coach or manage a sports team
- Do a first-aid course and then make your skills available to benefit the local community, e.g. be a first-aider at football matches or dance competitions
Charity work
- Fundraise for a charity
- Create or maintain a charity website or newsletter
Environmental service
- Take part in a conservation project such as clearing wasteland, cleaning a river, or caring for threatened wildlife or trees
- Care for a public or school garden
- Encourage recyling
- Care for animals
- Work in a clean-up campaign
- Promote environmental sustainability
Community education and health education
- Work with experienced people to educate the local community on important issues such as primary health care, immunisation campaigns, drug or alcohol awareness education
- Teach someone to read or write
Youth work
- Act in a leadership role in a youth club or uniformed youth organisation
- Assist with teaching primary school children
Emergency services
- Help an emergency service team, such as the fire service, surf life-saving, coastguard, police, mountain rescue or Civil Defence
Adventurous Journey
For the Adventurous Journey section you’ll need a sense of adventure and discovery as you go on a team journey, expedition or exploration.
By getting out of your comfort zone, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the wider environment, and develop self-confidence and team work skills. You’ll never forget it, and you’ll never regret it!
IMAGE: Bronze level practice journey (Whangaparaoa Peninsula, 2022)
Here’s a list of ideas that you could do for your Adventurous Journey, expedition or exploration, or use as a starting point to create a programme of your own.
Adventurous Journey
- Explore the natural world: glaciations, erosion, geology, coastal studies, river valleys, plant studies, bird studies, animal studies or insect studies
- Explore historic land use
- Investigate the survival or extinction of a language
- Explore human impact: visitor pressure in national parks, monitor pollution, survey the numbers of walkers in remote areas
- Carry out health surveys or health education in remote areas
- Complete a particularly demanding journey by foot, cycle or canoe/kayak – for 4 days and 3 nights with 8 hours of purposeful effort per day, i.e. approx 65km total distance
- Cycle an historic trail
At the Gold level, you may consider undertaking an even tougher challenge such as:
- Sailing across a sea or ocean
- Climbing a high mountainous peak
Gold Residential Project
For the Residential Project section you’ll broaden your horizons by being in a new environment with a group of people you’ve never met before.
It will involve you undertaking a shared activity or specific course with people you don’t know that will build on a talent you’ve developed in another section, learn something completely new on an intensive course or do something to help others. It’s a big, exciting and very fulfilling experience that will leave you with a great sense of achievement.
IMAGE: YES! Camp (Tiritiri Matangi Island, 2022)
There are many different options for completing a Residential Project. Note that the activity must be purposeful and not considered as a holiday. You must complete the form on the website (found in the residential section) and submit to national office for pre-approval unless you are doing your project entirely with people you’ve never met before.
Personal training courses
- Residential language course
- Leadership training
- Skills development
- Ecology study course
- Youth camps
- Youth parliaments
Environment and conservation projects
- Environmental clean up
- Volunteer work with national parks
- Research on habitats and ecosystems
- Restoration of buildings
Service to other people and communities
- Provision of facilities
- Construction projects
- Assisting as a leader at an annual camp for young people
- Work with overseas aid charity
- Work in a care home or hospital
Activity based
- Outdoor adventure courses
- Sports coaching
- Sport skills development
- Crew member on a tall ship
Qualified Gold Residential Project
The Greenfield Forest School in New Zealand founded YES! Camp (Youth Extracurriculars for Sustainability Camp) in 2017. At YES! Camp, we encourage young people to:
- Reconnect to nature
- Respect nature in experiential learning
- Reengage with nature through conservation and protection actions
Meet Us
Time: 11:15AM-12:15PM
Frequency: Last Saturday of each month
Location: 16 Highland Park Drive, Highland Park, Auckland 2010, New Zealand
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