The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is an award for personal achievement that can be obtained by anyone aged from 14 to 25, regardless of personal ability. The scheme takes, on average, a year to complete and around 250,000 participants are taking part internationally.
A pilot award scheme targeted as a boys education strategy started in 1956, with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as chairman. The first Gold Awards were made in 1958, when a parallel scheme "for Girls" was piloted, and the charity was established in 1959. The Duke of Edinburgh's award as we know it today (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 itself has three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. To obtain an award, participants must demonstrate achievement at the appropriate level in various activities in four sections:
- Service: helping the community (for example, working with a charity or becoming a member of the Young Leaders.)
- 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, or water, but most commonly on foot.
The expedition can be taken almost anywhere in the countryside and must be planned and prepared for in advance, and at least one practice journey of equivalent difficulty must be undertaken. The expedition party is expected to be self-sufficient and have an aim, such as a nature or community project.
Participants aiming for the Gold Award must also take part in one additional fifth section, a residential project. The residential project must be 5 days and 4 nights away from home with unfamiliar people to achieve some form of purposeful enterprise.
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.[