The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Gold

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (the Duke of Ed) is the global leader in the organising and accrediting of non-formal education through its flagship ‘Duke of Ed Framework’. By using the framework, young people aged 14-24 are empowered to take control of their personal development through unique opportunities to explore unfamiliar environments, engage in new activities, and meet new people. In order to complete the Gold Level requirements of the Duke of Ed, a young person has spent at least 12 months learning a skill, improving their physical well-being, volunteering in their community, experiencing a team adventure in a new environment, and taking part in a residential project away from home with a group of people who are not their usual peers. The Duke of Ed Framework and accreditation The Framework refers to a four-part, three level set of requirements that enable users to showcase their interests and attributes to support further education and career goals. For over 60 years, this Framework has been used by education providers and community organisations to accredit the non-formal learning outcomes and achievements of young people. The unique value of using The Duke of Ed to accredit these activities is designed to incorporate effective educational principles of: 1. Individual goal setting for each selected activity; 2. Supported by subject-matter experts in a mentoring role; 3. Requires logging of effort and reflection; 4. Minimum regular effort over a minimum duration of time (Gold Level = minimum 12 months).