Virtual Award Centres (VACs)

We have developed the Virtual Award Centres to ensure that young people in Canada from all backgrounds and life circumstances have the opportunity to do the Award.  If there is no existing Award Centre in your community, the VAC could be a great option for you to do the Award. If you would like more information, or you have any questions, please see our FAQ’s below. 

Register here

Why join the VAC?

There are many advantages to joining the Virtual Award Centres to complete your Award which may make it the best option for you: 

The VAC model delivers additional benefits, including: 

  • We have dedicated and friendly staff Award Specialists who will be your Virtual Award Leaders and they are here to help you complete your Awards! 

  • As part of joining the Virtual Award Centres, you gain access to Office Hours where you can speak to your Virtual Award Leader or an Award Specialist about any Award-related questions! 

  • Get an exclusive informative introductory course meant to set you up for success in your Award as well as other resources and tools to help you plan out your Award activities! 

  • Concerned about the Adventurous Journey? We are running Virtual Bronze Experience (VBE) Adventurous Journeys for Virtual Award Centre Participants! If you have been finding it difficult to plan an Adventurous Journey and are in the Bronze level, this may be a great option for you

Click here for more information on VACs

Virtual Award Centre registration fees

In order to create a sustainable delivery model with paid members of staff in place to support participants through their Award in the VACs, we have increased our participant fees as follows:
bronze Bronze level registration

$250.00

silver Silver level registration

$350.00

gold Gold level registration

$450.00

Jumpstart Individual Child Grants for Virtual Award Centre Participants:

Award Canada is a proud Service Organization/Payee for Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart Individual Child Grants. If you or your child, aged under 18, are gearing up to register in our Virtual Award Centre, don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity. The application awaits you on their website—make sure to delve into eligibility, requirements, and details. ou can also find additional information on their FAQ webpage. Seize the moment; it’s an opportunity not to be missed!

Please click here for more information on additional bursaries and grant opportunities.

The administrative fees are as follows:  

Refunds:   

  • All refunds are subject to a $50.00 administrative fee to cover administrative and account costs. 

Inactive accounts:  

  • Should a participant cease to log activity and does not respond to their Award Leader’s attempt to reach out, the Award will be marked as inactive. Should the participant return to continue activity within 6 months of inactivation, a PayPal invoice will be sent for a $50.00 administration fee to reactivate the Online Record Book account and re-engage.  
  • Should a participant cease to log activity and does not respond to their Award Leader’s attempt to reach out, the Award will be marked as inactive. Should the participant return to continue activity after 6 months of inactivation, a PayPal invoice will be sent for a $100.00 administration fee to reactivate the Online Record Book account and re-engage.  

Changing levels:  

  • Should a participant choose to change their current level from Bronze to Silver, a PayPal invoice will be sent for the $100.00 difference in registration fees.
  • Should a participant choose to change their current level from Silver to Gold, a PayPal invoice will be sent for the $100.00 difference in registration fees.  
  • Should a participant choose to change their current level from Bronze to Gold, a PayPal invoice will be sent for the $200.00 difference in registration fees.  

There are no additional charges for the account changes. Please contact the Support Centre with your request to change levels .

 

Transferring a current Award into the VACs: 

If you would like to transfer to the Virtual Award Centres, we can facilitate the transfer fee payment by e-transfer. 

The transfer fee is based on how many sections you have completed and is reflected in the reduced fee in the chart below.  

If you are interested in joining the VAC, please contact our Support Centre at support@dukeofed.org to start the conversation!

Transfer reasons can include:  

  • Choosing to continue your Award in the VACs 
  • Leaving or aging out of your current Award Centre without another Award Centre to transfer to. For example, graduating from middle school to a feeder secondary school without an Award Centre or aging out of a uniformed group.  
  • Moving away from your Award Centre or moving to Canada from another country.  
  • Current Award Centre closing down.  

Registration fees for the Virtual Award Centres and for individual events must be paid in full at time of enrolment.  

If your registration for the Virtual Award Centre is accepted (registration approval date), Award Canada adheres to the standard 30-day refund policy, allowing for refunds within 30 days of an individual’s registration approval date. All refunds are subject to a $50.00 administration fee.  

After 30-days from acceptance, registrations are non-refundable unless: 

  • The Online Record Book account is cancelled by administrators,  
  • If the young person cannot participate within a reasonable amount of time (more than 6 months) due to medical reasons, substantiated by a medical certificate, or extenuating circumstances.  

In these two situations, the refund is still subject to a $50.00 administration fee. 

If your registration is not accepted for any reason, a full refund will be given. Some examples of cancelled or unaccepted registrations are: participants outside of age requirements, incorrect level, duplicate registrations, etc.

There are no refunds for bursary or scholarship paid fees.