Duke of Edinburgh – Middle School
Offered to students in our Middle School, The Duke of Edinburgh Award, or ‘Duke of Ed’ as it is affectionately known by our students, is a leading structured (non-formal education) youth development program, empowering all young Australians aged 14-24 to explore their full potential and find their purpose, passion and place in the world, regardless of their location or circumstance.
The Award is a fully inclusive program and has no social, political, or religious affiliations. It allows students to set their own personal goals for each aspect that they achieve without any peer pressure. You can read more about Duke of Edinburgh Award here.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award has four important aspects:
- Physical Recreation – which includes any sport that students may already be undertaking or would like to explore as long as it ‘builds a sweat’.
- Skill – This may include any kind of skills development by learning a new musical instrument, learning to play chess or even learning a new language.
- Service – An important aspect of the award is to contribute to the society they live in to develop a sense of community by giving without an expectation of return.
- Adventurous Journey – This is the most fun part of the award where the students, with guidance from the Award Leader, plan, organise and undertake an exploration or expedition journey with their peers.
These four aspects have different numbers of hours that need to completed depending on the Award level. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is designed to develop perseverance, commitment, and resilience as it is ‘not a sprint but a marathon’, while trying to push out of their comfort zone and making new friends.
