The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Scheme is a programme of self-development that is available to young people internationally. It has specific requirements at the Bronze, Silver and Gold Levels and it is up to the individual to take up the challenge, develop themselves and try to achieve the Awards. It is hard work and a lot of fun at the same time. The Award provides opportunities for young people to get to know others better. Award participants are able to develop their self-confidence, independence, interpersonal skills and the ability to develop a plan to make it happen.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme was first introduced in the U.K. in 1956 by Prince Philip and it has since been adopted in many countries of the world.

“It presents to young people a balanced, non-competitive programme of voluntary activities which encourages personal discovery and growth, self-reliance, perseverance, responsibility to themselves and service to their community.”
(The International Programme Handbook)

Within the U.K., the scheme is of course known as “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award”, after its founder. Internationally, it is generally known as “The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award” but the two versions of the scheme are essentially the same.

Participation in the Award starts officially when the young person completes their application form and takes up the challenge of the programme. Participants must be over 14 when they start the Bronze Award, over 15 for the Silver and over 16 years of age for the Gold Award. Participants who have achieved the Bronze Award get exemptions for their Silver and so do those who start their Gold having completed their Silver Award. However, a badge and a certificate are presented to the young person on completion of each Award.

The basic structure of the Award Programme at the Bronze and Silver levels consists of four mandatory sections: Service, Adventurous Journeys, Skills and Physical Recreation. The Gold Award includes another requirement, the Residential project. It is within the philosophy of the scheme that participants enter the programme voluntarily and work towards it in their free time showing improvement in their chosen activities.

The exact requirements that participants need to complete for the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards are detailed in this website. Further information, including the latest Award Handbook can be found on The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award website at www.intaward.org

1. It is intended for boys and girls aged 14 to 20.
2. Members attempt progressively three stages of achievement – Bronze, Silver and Gold. Those attaining the Gold standards may choose to receive their Award personally from the Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace.
3. In each stage, the aspirant must satisfy the Committee that he or she has attained the prescribed standard in each of a number of different fields of activity, which include:
   • a Project of personal interest (for example, at random, the pursuit of a hobby, the completion of a scientific project, learning a musical instrument)
   • “Adventurous Training” – camping and cross-country expeditions, such as our Olympus Club already enjoys. There is the obvious common-sense adaptation of this activity for girls.
   • A service to the community – one of the St John’s Ambulance grades of proficiency, active work among poor people or with the handicapped, and (for girls) child care, are examples of what might be undertaken at the higher standards.

•  www.intaward.org – The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International Foundation
•  www.dofe.org – The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the UK
•  www.onlinerecordbook.org – The Award’s Online Record Book (ORB)
•  www.youtube.com/esdofe – The School’s DofE Award Youtube Channel
•  www.thebmc.co.uk – The British Mountaineering Council

These fees are required in order to cover the cost of the Scheme. The major costs of the Scheme include equipment, student transportation, 4×4 vehicle hiring, training, licence fees, insurance and staffing costs. The fee is not refundable or transferable under any circumstances, even if the student does not achieve the standard required to gain an Award.

You can pay your membership fees online via JCC using the links in the table above and you need to return your completed registration form together with the JCC payment receipt. JCC Payment Receipts and Registration Forms will be collected at the DofE Award Office (behind the canteen) during break time. Please make sure you complete the correct registration form. The registration forms as well as the medical form can be found under the resources of the website.

1. Attend an Online Record Book Registration Workshop.
2. Attend an Award Leader Sections Presentation Session.
3. Add the details of your activities on the Online Record Book (ORB).
   • Select a valid activity from the dropdown menus on the Online Record Book (ORB).
   • Set a S.M.A.R.T. goal for each of your activities.
   • Add your assessors’ details (first name, last name, phone number and email).
4. You can start your activities only once your Award Leader has authorised them on the Online Record Book (ORB).
5. Once all your activities are authorised, please collect your Record Sheets from the DofE office.
6. Keep a log of your activities on the Record Sheets. Your logs should not be short or repetitive.
7. Create all the logs (they should not be short or repetitive) for each of your activities on the Online Record Book (ORB).
8. Once your assessors sign all your logs and front cover of each of your Record Sheets, take them to your Award Leader to check and sign.
9. Upload photos/scans of all the sides of your completed and signed by your Award Leader Record Sheets on the Online Record Book (ORB).
10. Inform your Award Leader that you added all the information and uploaded all the relevant evidence, so that they can review your Award.

Timescales

Minimum timescale for each level by section

Aim: To encourage participation in Physical Recreation and improvement of performance

Click here for more Physical Recreation ideas.

Aim: To encourage the development of personal interests and practical skills

This section encourages participants to take up or continue a personal interest, showing evidence of effort and individual progress. Skill activities include:

• Non-physical hobbies like playing a musical instrument
• Vocational or job-related skills such as carpentry or typing
• A study on a particular topic such as candle-making
• Arts & crafts such as painting or pottery
• Games such as chess
• Performance skills such as theatre

School extra-curricular activities that can count towards the Skills section:

• Astronomy Club (Years 3-7)
• Cyber Security Club (Year 3)
• Drama & Theatre Club (Year 3)
• D&T Club (Years 3-7)
• Economics Olympiad (Year 7)
• English Junior Debate (Year 3)
• EYP (Years 4-7)
• F1 in Schools (Years 3-7)
• FTC Club (Years 4-7)
• Gardening Club (Years 3-7)
• Greek Creative Writing (Year 3)
• Greek Debate (Year 3)
• Music Choir/Orchestra (Years 3-7)
• Radio Club (Years 3-7)
• Robotics Club (Year 3)
• Senior Debate Society (Years 4-7)
• St Johns Ambulance First Aid (Years 3-7)

Click here for more Skills ideas.

Aim: To learn how to give useful service to others

Participants should undertake an activity in which they give service to others, from which they should be able to gain new experiences for personal development. Examples of Service activities include:

• Charity work
  • Cans For Kids
  • Caritas Cyprus
  • Hope For Children
  • PASYKAF
  • Red Cross
  • Sophia For Children
  • The Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society
  • Voice for Autism
  • Young Volunteers/Μικροί Εθελοντές
• Helping individuals in need e.g. the elderly, handicapped
• Voluntary work in hospitals, kindergartens etc.
• Working with children e.g. sports coaching
• Environmental work
  • AKTI – Project and Research Centre
• Working with the emergency services
• Learning and practising a personal skill e.g. first aid, lifesaving

School extra-curricular activities that can count towards the Voluntary Service section:

• Chain of Change (Years 3-7) – Ms Stalo Achilleos, Ms Ioanna Nicolaou & Ms Niki Melanidou

Click here for more Voluntary Service ideas.

• Expedition, where the emphasis is on journeying, whilst at the same time working on a purpose (theme/project)
• Explorations, where emphasis is on working on a project/theme (observing, researching, gathering relevant information), with less journeying involved

Requirements

1. Understanding of the Adventurous Journey Section
2. First Aid
3. Camp Craft & Use of Equipment
4. Navigation & Route Planning

Training Section 1 – Understanding of the Adventurous Journey Section (Duration 1 hour):

To register for expeditions, please fill in an Expedition Registration Form. You only need to fill in one registration form per Adventurous Journey group. Please note that places for all the expeditions are limited and will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

For each level you are required to complete a Practice and a Qualifying expedition. Direct Silver participants are also required to complete a Bronze Practice expedition and direct Gold participants are required to also complete a Bronze Practice and a Silver Practice expedition.

Adventurous Journey Safety

Make sure you set S.M.A.R.T. goals for your chosen activities by answering the following questions:

• Specific – Your goal should be as specific as possible and answer the questions: What is your goal? How often or how much? Where will it take place?
• Measurable – How will you measure your goal? Measurement will give you specific feedback and hold you accountable
• Attainable – Goals should push you, but it is important that they are achievable. Are your goals attainable?
• Realistic – Is your goal and timeframe realistic for the goal you established?
• Timely – Do you have a timeframe listed in your SMART goal? This helps you be accountable and helps in motivation.

Examples:

Physical Recreation Section:

• Swimming – I have been swimming sicne I was eight years old, but I only started to swim competitively and seriously when I was eleven. My best stroke is backstroke and my best distance is 100 metres. I have been working to swim this race in as little amount of time possible, and my best time is 1:12:75. My goal now is to swim it in under 1:10:00. This will be challenging, however I train four times a week at the moment, so with consistent training it will be possible. I will log my improvements and training in the log every week, and I will reflect on the competitions I take part in.

• Running – Over the course of 26 weeks, I aim to improve my running ability through practice and through the use of the internet. I aim to be able to run 7.5km in one hour by the end of the 26 week time period.

• Football – My aim is to improve my own footballing ability, especially my attacking play including my passing and shooting ability, and also become fitter in the process, and I aim to achieve this by April 2022. In order to achieve this I will partake football training once every week.

• Ballet – For the next 3 months I will be attending ballter classes once a week for one hour. I aim to improve my ballet skills and take the Grade 3 exams in June 2022 and aim to get at least merit.

• Tennis – I will participate in the Pancyprian U-16 tennis tournament in April 2022 and I will therefore practice twice a week for the next 6 months for 2 hours. I aim to reach at least the quarter finals of the competition.

• Yoga – To learn at least 15 asanas (poses) and to be able to do 35 surya namaskars (sun salutations) at the end of 6 months. I will set a time once a week to practice yoga, for at least 1 hour a week.

• Netball – To be selected for the ‘Long List’ for the U17 European Championships and to be able to pass over 100 chest passes in one minute. I will be attending my weekly Wednesday’s netball trainings.

Voluntary Service Section:

• Tutoring / help to others – I aim to help the Year 1s feel comfortable with their transition from primary school to secondary school. When I entered secondary school I felt scared and lost when it came to making new friends, adjusting to the new standards of work, and more. Therefore, I know how the current Year 1s feel as I was once in their shoes, and would like to let them know that if they ever need someone to talk to, I will be there for them.

• Mentoring / Coaching – My aim is to help the under-8’s improve their footballing ability, including teamwork, attacking and defending and to build relationships with the young children playing at the club by March 2022. In order to do this I will attend the club and work with the kids once every week.

• Environmental / Working a Clean-up Campaign – My goal is to improve the overall appearance of my area, starting on November 4th 2022. I will do so by aiding the staff who work at my compound. The goal for this is to work towards making the area a cleaner place to live in and, more importantly, to realise that it falls under the responsibility of myself to take action. By April 2023 my area will be noticeably cleaner and presentable.

• Caring for animals – For the next 6 months I will be volunteering at ‘Animal Aid’ shelter. This will involve taking care of the dogs currently staying at the shelter; walking, feeding and cleaning them. My aim is to help them take care of the stray dogs effectively in order for the shelter to keep up with the high demands during the difficult winter months.

• Help to others – For the next 3 months I will be helping a mother meet the requirements of her treatment and reintegration programme at Ayia Skepi Drug Rehabilitation Centre, by tutornig and babysitting her daugter who is six years old. I will spend 2 hours a week with the child and aim to make the time as constructive and entertaining so that the mother can concentrate on her sessions

Skills Section:

• Cooking – I want to be able to cook 11 different meals from Spain, Norway, Morocco, America, Scotland, Japan, Italy, France, India, Mexico and Greece, so I can appreciate the international environment I am in. For every meal, I will choose a different, traditional dish to cook, from a country that is not my own. I will give evidence through pictures and a recipe of each meal on my Instagram account and will reflect on how it went in the log.

• Piano – I aim currently pursuing my Grade 8 Piano exam. My goal is to pass it with a distinction. I have already completed Grades 1-7 and I am now preparing for the final one. I have passed most of them with distinction adn the others with a merit. I have been playing the piano for 10 years and I hope to attain my goal. Additionally, learning the piano will enable me to excel in my GCSE Music course, which will help me obtain the highest grades possible.

• Language – Over the course of the 26 weeks, I aim to improve my ability in Italian. I, with the use of the internet, aim to go from having no knowledge of Italian at all to being able to read and write a small amount of Italian that a native Italian speaker can understand. I aim to be able to produce a short essay about myself, in Italian, that can be understood by my assessor, who is a native Italian speaker.

• Hobbies – My aim is to improve my mechanic skills and to be able to fully clean an engine and put it back together by March 2022. I will achieve this by learning new skills and practicing these skills once every week.

• Guitar – I would like to continue playing guitar, and achieve a high distinction in my grade 4 exam, which is in May 2016. I also need to be confident in playing the C minor chord which is common in one ofmy chosen songs, as well as in my theory work.

Adventurous Journey Section:

• Generic for all – The AJ objective should be a journey with a purpose – such as studying the impact of humans on the environment or noting types of  fauna and flora, rather than just completing it as per the requirements of the section itself (completing the journey as a team and using map reading skills and so on).

hysical Recreation, Skills & Voluntary Service Sections:

You can complete your Physical Recreation, Skills & Voluntary Service Sections by completing the following steps for each activity:

• Add the details of your activities on the Online Record Book (ORB).
  • Select a valid activity from the dropdown menus on the Online Record Book (ORB).
  • Set a S.M.A.R.T. goal for each of your activities.
  • Add your assessors’ details (first name, last name, phone number and email).
• Once all your activities are authorised, please collect your Record Sheets from the DofE office.
• Keep a log of your activities on the Record Sheets. Your logs should not be short or repetitive.
• Create all the logs (they should not be short or repetitive) for each of your activities on the Online Record Book (ORB).
• Once your assessors sign all your logs and front cover of each of your Record Sheets, take them to your Award Leader to check and sign.
• Upload photos/scans of all the sides of your completed and signed by your Award Leader Record Sheets on the Online Record Book (ORB). – Please check at the bottom of the page for instructions on how to upload your assessor’s report.
• Inform your Award Leader that you added all the information and uploaded all the relevant evidence, so that they can review your Award.

Adventurous Journey Section:

You can complete your Adventurous Journey Section by completing the following steps:

• Complete your Preparation and Training Section
• Your Practice Journey will be set up for you
• Your Qualifying Journey will be set up for you
• Send your group’s Adventurous Journey Section Report via email.

Gold Residential Project (Gold level only):

You can complete your Gold Residential Project by completing the following steps:

• Add the details of your activity.
  • Select a valid activity from the dropdown menus on the Online Record Book (ORB).
  • Set a S.M.A.R.T. goal
  • Add your assessor’s details (first name, last name, phone number and email)
• After you complete the Gold Residential Project, make sure your assessor submits their online assessment on the Online Record Book.

Once you complete all your activities and add all the required information and upload the necessary documents, please inform your Award Leader so that they can review your Award.

Do not hesitate to contact your Award Leader if you have any questions.

Award Leaders for 2024/2025:

• Bronze Award – Ms Nicoletta Stavrides & Ms Olia Antoniadou
• Year 5 (Silver Award) – Ms Virginia Bakarian & Ms Stalo Adamou
• Year 6 (Silver & Gold Award) – Mr Christos Kilaniotis
• Year 7 (Silver & Gold Award) – Mr Alexis Sofianos

How to upload your Record Sheets:

• After your Award Leader checks and signs your Record Sheets, you should navigate to each Section and upload photos of all the sides of your Record Sheets using the ‘UPLOAD FILE’ button as shown below.

• Inform your Award Leader once you upload photos of all your Record Sheets.

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Participant Guides

Guide for Bronze Award Participants
Guide for Silver Award Participants
Guide for Gold Award Participants

Registration Forms 2025-2026

Bronze Award – Participant Registration Form
Silver Award – Participant Registration Form
Gold Award – Participant Registration Form
Participant Medical Certificate

Adventurous Journey Section

Consent Form
Recommended Kit List
Route Card