When your school, organization, or community group delivers The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, you help young people build confidence, resilience, and purpose through experiences that already align with your existing programs. The Award provides a flexible, research‑backed framework that strengthens what you already offer by adding goal‑setting, reflection, and meaningful recognition, while helping you track real outcomes that matter.
Why Deliver the Award?
Schools and youth organizations are asked to support well-being, engagement, and transferable life skills. The Award helps by providing an evidence-informed framework that guides young people to grow through challenge, reflection, and sustained effort. It offers shared tools, clear expectations, and measurable outcomes that make experiential learning easier to deliver and demonstrate.
Elevate your existing curriculum/programs with a globally recognized structure for growth and engagement
By delivering the Award framework, your organization becomes part of an international model for positive youth development, one that’s proven to increase engagement, improve wellbeing, and complement formal education with meaningful, measurable growth. Delivery Partners choose the Award because it helps them:
Enhance existing programs by adding a simple structure for goal setting, reflection, and mentorship.
Increase engagement and belonging through personalized, real-world experiences tailored to each young person.
Support well-being and progressive youth development by building confidence, resilience, and purpose over time.
Demonstrate measurable outcomes using a clear, recognized framework and tools that help you capture growth beyond academics.
Recognize and celebrate achievement with an internationally recognized Award that validates effort and development
Grounded in Research. Proven in Practice.
Today’s young people are growing up in a world of digital distraction, social disconnection, and uncertainty about their future. Education research shows ( OECD, UNICEF, and Canada’s Council of Minsters of Education) that learners need opportunities to build resilience, develop purpose, and apply learning in real-world contexts.
Read our position paper hereBecause the Award is so prestigious, students were genuinely excited to realize that their everyday efforts are worthy of recognition. It helped reinforce that their learning is shaping them as people and supporting their personal goals. When learning feels important and relevant, students engage more deeply.
Joanne, Careers Class Teacher, NL
Who Delivers the Award?
The Award can be delivered by any organization that supports young people aged 14 to 24 and is committed to positive youth development. It fits alongside your existing programming and adds a proven structure that supports purposeful challenge, reflection, and personal growth.
Schools and School Boards
Integrating the Award into:
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Courses such as Careers, Physical Education, English, Geography, Outdoor Education, ESL and Alternative Curriculum
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Programs such as trades, SHSM, student leadership, athletics, experiential learning
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Clubs and co-curricular activities that support skill development, service, or physical activity
Youth-serving Organizations
Use the Award to enhance:
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Mentorship and Leadership programs
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Skill-based programming such as arts, tech, trades, or cultural activities
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Community engagement initiatives and volunteerism pathways
Clubs, Camps, Faith or Community Groups
Integrate the Award through:
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Team leadership development and coaching pathways
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Training or learning goals built into regular programming
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Youth groups, service projects, and leadership development activities
How the Award is Delivered
Award Delivery Partner Types:
Different partner types offer flexibility for how organizations deliver the Award based on size, structure, or mandate. Delivery partners help young people access the Award framework in ways that fit their context whether through extracurricular programs, integrated curriculum, or specialized activities.
A single organization licensed to deliver the Award directly to youth.
Operates under a formal agreement and must have at least two trained Award Leaders.
Receives training, resources, and ongoing guidance to ensure program quality.
Integrated into school or community programming for direct participant engagement.
Integrating the Award into formal education systems to support curriculum outcomes and experiential learning. Check out our Educators Page for more info.
Authorized through a formal agreement to embed the Award within educational programs.
Receives curriculum-aligned resources, training, and implementation support.
Embedded into courses or programs within schools, colleges, or universities.
A larger organization that coordinates Award delivery across multiple sites or programs, often national or provincial in scope.
Holds a formal license to oversee multiple Award Centres under its umbrella.
Provided with centralized training, resources, and quality assurance tools.
Implements the Award via affiliated organizations or chapters.
An organization licensed to deliver and assess one or more sections of the Award (Service, Skills, Physical Recreation, Adventurous Journey and Gold Project.)
Approved to provide supervision and assessment for specific Award sections.
Given guidelines to ensure section delivery meets Award standards.
Offers high-quality activities through expert-led programs or services.
Support for Delivery Partners
Every licensed organization receives the training and tools needed to implement the Award confidently and sustainably. Support includes:
Access to the Online Record Book (ORB) for goal setting, progress tracking, and reflection.
Training for Award Leaders and Coordinators including Level 1 and Level 2 certification.
A Dedicated Account Manager for planning, implementation, and troubleshooting.
Resource Library with practical tools for recruitment, mentoring, goal setting, reflection, and recognition.
As a high school teacher and long-time Award Leader, I see the Duke of Edinburgh programme as an incredible opportunity for personal development for young people that will help them be successful throughout their lives.
Dave - Award LeaderReady to Get Started?
Join a national network helping young people discover their potential!
By becoming a Delivery Partner, you enrich the programs you already offer and help young people develop leadership, purpose, and lifelong skills.
Get started in three steps:
Select the delivery approach that fits your context and train key staff.
Launch with participants using Award tools and support.
Award Delivery FAQ
Yes. The Award is designed to complement what you already offer. Most partners integrate it into existing courses, programs, clubs, mentoring, recreation, or leadership activities.
Yes. The Award is non-competitive and open to all young people. Its flexible framework supports personalized goals and multiple pathways so each participant can experience meaningful success.
The Award strengthens what you already do by adding a shared structure. Getting started requires planning and training, but once established it becomes a sustainable part of your programming.
Most organizations start with two Award Leaders. Larger sites often add additional staff for effective implementation.
Once you complete the Expression of Interest, decide how the Award will be integrated into your organization and have staff complete Level 1 training, you can launch as soon as you’re ready.
Delivery Partners receive training, the ORB, resources and playbooks, and a dedicated Account Manager for implementation support.
