The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

Get ready for the greatest adventure of your school life

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award aims to empower young people to face challenges by equipping them with life skills, that will enable them to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. The Award accentuates and heightens character traits like perseverance, self-belief and self-confidence.

As every individual is different, so, too, are the challenges that students undertake to achieve their Award. Students who decide to take on the challenge of completing the award, at any of the levels, are guided by a team of teachers, who will encourage students to examine and reflect on their interests, abilities, and ambitions, then set themselves challenges in the four different sections of the Award, which include volunteering, skills and expedition.

Though it may sometimes feel daunting, students who complete the Award feel a strong sense of satisfaction in knowing that they have successfully overcome all the challenges faced, while learning more about themselves and their hidden depths of character in an environment of collaboration and autonomy.

What is The Duke of Edinburgh International Award?

Overview of the different awards

There are three levels of programme you can do, which, when successfully completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. The main differences between them are the minimum length of time they take to complete, how challenging they are and the minimum age you can start.

LEVELS AND TIMESCALES

In Year 3 students ( Age 14 Years) can try for the Bronze qualification. The following timescales apply:

• Volunteering section: 3 months
• Physical section: 3 months
• Skills section: 3 months
• Expedition section: 2 days/1 night
• You also have to do 3 more months in one of the Volunteering, Physical or Skills sections.

Year 3 DoE presentation View PDF

In Year 4 and 5 students ( Age 15 Years) can try for the Silver qualification. The following timescales apply:

• Volunteering, Physical and Skills section: 6 months
• Expedition section: 3 days/2 nights

All non-Bronze holders must do an additional 6 months in either Service, Skills or Physical Recreation.

In Year 5, 6 and 7 students ( Age 16 years)  can try for the Gold qualification. The following timescales apply:

• Volunteering, Physical and Skills section: 12 months
• Expedition section: 4 days/3 nights
• Residential section: undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away of 5 days and 5 nights

All non – Silver holders must do an additional 6 months in either Service, Skills or Physical Recreation

NOTES

• Please remember that these are the minimum time requirements. You are encouraged to continue your activities beyond the minimum time to achieve your own personal goals. 
• Provided you are at least the minimum age required, you may start the Award at the level that is most suitable for your goals. It is not compulsory to start at Bronze. However, doing the Silver without having done the Bronze, or the Gold without the Silver, will mean that you need to do an extra six months minimum activity in your choice of the Physical Recreation, Skills or Service sections.

OUR TEN GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Individual - Individuals design their own programme, which can be tailored to suit their personal circumstances, choices and local provision. They start at whichever level suits them best and they can take as long as they wish (within the age limit) to achieve their Award.

Non-competitive - Doing their Award is a personal challenge and not a competition against others. Every participant’s programme is tailor-made to reflect their individual starting point, abilities and interests.

Achievable - An Award is achievable by any individual who chooses to take up the challenge, regardless of ability, gender, background or location, with the right guidance and inspiration.

Voluntary - Whilst the Award may be offered within school, college, work time or extra-curricular activity, individuals choose to do a programme and must commit some of their free time to undertake their activities.

Development - Participating in their Award programme fosters personal and social development. Individuals gain valuable experiences and life skills, grow in confidence and become more aware of their environment and community transforming them into responsible young adults.

Balanced - The Award provides a balanced framework to develop the individual’s mind, body and community spirit by engaging them in a range of activities in up to five different challenges.

Progressive - At each level of engagement, the Award demands progressively more time, commitment and responsibility from the participant.

Inspiration - The Award inspires individuals to exceed their expectations. They are encouraged to set their own challenges and goals before starting an activity; to aim for these goals and by showing improvement, they will achieve an Award.

Persistence - The Award requires persistence and cannot be completed with a short burst of enthusiasm. Participants are encouraged to continue with activities and to maintain their interest.

Enjoyable – Participants and Leaders should find the Award enjoyable, fulfilling and rewarding.

Personalise your award

What makes The Duke of Edinburgh International Award great, is that it’s really personal. Whether you’re adventurous by nature, creative or bookish, you choose how to tailor the Award so that it suits your own personality. The award sections that apply are listed below as they appear on the official documentation, and they are designed in such a way, as to foster your individuality and make the qualification really tailored to you. According to the official website, each section is described as follows:

SERVICE

Service is all about making a difference to other people’s lives. Perhaps you’re interested in animals or conservation? Or you might like to work with older people or raise money for a cause that means a lot to you? From teaching children about recycling to starting a local awareness campaign, the Service section enables you to give your time to help others and change things for the better.

PHYSICAL RECREATION

The Physical Recreation section is a chance for you to focus on your health and fitness and have fun along the way. As long as you pick something that requires a sustained level of energy and physical activity, the possibilities are endless. Improve your football, rock climbing or dance skills or try a completely new sport or activity. Join a team or do it on your own. You don’t have to be super fit -- with the Duke of Edinburgh International Award, it’s about setting your own challenges, giving 100% and being the very best you can be.

SKILLS

The Skills section is about discovering what you’re really good at. Maybe you want to get better at something you already do, like playing a musical instrument, or learn something for the very first time, like how to design a website? By developing practical and social skills and nurturing your personal interests and talents, you’ll boost your self-esteem and your CV.

EXPEDITION / EXPLORATION

As part of a small team, you’ll plan and complete a practice and final expedition or exploration that will truly stretch your horizons and is guaranteed to grant you an unforgettable experience getting to grips with the great outdoors. You’ll improve your communication and leadership skills and take a rucksack full of memories home with you.

RESIDENTIAL (Gold Level)

If you’re going for your Gold Duke of Edinburgh International Award, you need to complete an additional Residential section. You’ll spend five days and four nights taking part in a shared, worthwhile activity with people you’ve never met before. A Duke of Edinburgh International Award residential will boost your independence and confidence and is a great way to leave a positive footprint on your life and other people’s.

We have a committed team of teachers that are alongside the students' progress the whole way. Ms Polyana Papadopoulou is the teacher in charge of the team, and together with the other Award Leaders , volunteer to bring this international qualification to the school.

The team is responsible for the planning and co-ordination of the programme, and is by the students' side at all steps of the journey.

Polyana Papadopoulou - Science, Chemistry, Head Of Year 2, The Duke Of Edinburgh International Award Coordinator Leader (ppapadopoulou@academy.ac.cy, 24 746 391)

Christina Savvidou - English Teacher, The Duke Of Edinburgh International Award Leader (csavvidou@academy.ac.cy, 24 746 374)

Sergios Nicolaou - Science, Biology,  Curriculum Assistant: Timetable, The Duke Of Edinburgh International Award Leader (snicolaou@academy.ac.cy, 24 746 387)

Konstantinos Ioannou - Law and Politics Teacher, The Duke Of Edinburgh International Award Leader (kioannou@academy.ac.cy, 24 746 381)

Antonia Christou - Chemistry Teacher, The Duke Of Edinburgh International Award Assessor (achristou@academy.ac.cy, 24 746 365)

Proud to deliver

The American Academy Larnaca has been a committed centre in delivering The Duke of Edinburgh International Award since 2001. Every year we have many students who enthusiastically take on the challenge of completing the first level of Award, many of whom go on to complete all three levels successfully. For this academic year (2016-2017) there are currently 285 students who are in the process of gaining a qualification at each of the levels.

The list is endless

Students that participate in any of The Duke of Edinburgh International Award levels really get a lot out of the programme. It’s hard to pin it down to just a few key things, but ask any student who’s been involved and you’ll find out that the first reason to be a part of it is that you’re guaranteed to have a lot of fun, even if you are often pushing yourself to do difficult new things. The challenging factor of the programme is exciting, but should not stop you from trying it out, because in your journey, you’ll get to know your friends better and you’ll share experiences together that will forge friendships of a lifetime. It also looks really impressive on your university application, because it’s a testament to your perseverance and hard work.

December, 5th 2021 marks #IVD2021 and we want to shout out to all the @intaward volunteers in CYPRUS and around the world who help to inspire infinite potential every day. 

The American Academy Larnaca Alumni Foundation  is proud to be part of the family and has been running the Award for 20 years. 

This #IVD2021, 100 exceptional volunteers, including us, received a special thank you, including a letter of thanks from HRH The Earl of Wessex and Forfar and a commemorative coin marking The Duke of Edinburgh’s life and legacy. #IVD2021 #worldready