The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program is available in more than 140 countries, with over 8 million young people having participated worldwide.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is open to students 14 years of age or older. All Participants are supported by a network of adult Award Leaders, Assessors, Supervisors, and mentors. At Fort Street, Year 9 students have the opportunity to complete the Bronze Award.
About the Award
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award includes four components:
- developing a skill
- service to the community
- physical recreation
- adventurous journey
The skills section provides an opportunity for you to improve an existing skill or try something new. The community service section gives you a chance to give back to the community and help others and the physical recreation section encourages healthy behaviours. The Adventurous Journey provides an opportunity to challenge yourself with your peers to achieve a goal.
Requirements of the Award
Fortians in Year 9 will start with the Bronze Award. Once they are 14 and 9 months and have completed the Bronze Award students can, if they choose, progress to the Silver Award. Students who are at least 16 years old and have completed their Silver Award can progress to the Gold Award.
- For the Bronze DOE, you participate in two activities for one hour a week (or up to 4 hours per month) for 3 months (13 weeks) and one major activity that you participate in for one hour a week for 6 months (26 weeks).
- For the Silver DOE, you participate in each activity for one hour a week for 6 months (26 weeks).
- For the Gold DOE, you participate in each activity for one hour a week for 12 months (52 weeks) and you also participate in a residential project.
Each activity requires a regular commitment, not an intense project over a few days. You organise and participate in activities of your choice.
Following are some suggestions of activities that you can choose inside and outside of school. Assessor information is provided for in-school activities. If you choose to participate in an activity outside of school your assessor:
- cannot be a parent or relative
- will need to have a Working With Children Check (WWCC) number
- will need to complete the Appendix 11 and Assessor Commencement Guide (ACG) forms if they are not registered with the school. A list of assessors already registered with the school, and who therefore do not require Appendix 11 and Assessor Commencement Guides is here.
A checklist of requirements to register in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, including the payment and paperwork required is available here.
Skill
Skills available at Fort Street:
Skill Contact Art Studio - Ms Penny Starr, Cohen Front Office
Calligraphy Club Ms Catriona Arcamone, Learning Centre - Chess
Mr Shane Fischer, Cohen Staffroom - Debating
- Ms Mary Vardakis, Cohen Staffroom
English Enrichment - Ms Elizabeth Maddox, Cohen Staffroom
IMP - Mr Matt Manchester, Rowe Staffroom
Latin Mr Joel Morrison, Deputy Principal Philosophy Ms Kylie Salisbury, Careers Office - Robotics/Makers Society
- Mr David Patane, Rowe Staffroom
Theatre Sports Ms Carolyn Mattick, Rowe Staffroom Service
Service available at Fort Street:
Service Contact Amnesty Ms Jenny Xu, Rowe Staffroom Bread and Butter Project Mr Hugh O’Neill, Cohen Staffroom Environmental Committee Ms Jenny Xu, Rowe Staffroom Diversity Mr Gabriel Guy, Rowe Staffroom SRC Mr Michael Galvin, Cohen Staffroom Student2Student reading program Ms Elizabeth Maddox, Rowe Staffroom Duke of Ed Leadership Ms Genevieve Flynn, Rowe Staffroom Physical Recreation
Physical Recreation available at Fort Street:
| Activity | Contact |
| Ms Tali Ezekiel, Rowe Staffroom |
| Ms Tali Ezekiel, Rowe Staffroom |
|
|
Adventurous Journey
The Adventurous Journey involves preliminary training, followed by a practice and then a qualifying expedition. The Bronze journeys are each two days in length, Silver journeys are three days and Gold journeys are four days.
The Bronze Adventurous Journey will include the following:
- a training day at school run by the student Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Leadership Team, which goes through navigation and route planning, first aid and emergency management, cooking, leadership, equipment and putting up a tent.
- a four-day camp at Somerset Outdoor Learning Centre, comprising a two-day practice journey and a two-day qualifying journey. Students will be hiking in groups, carrying all required equipment in a provided rucksack, and sleeping in tents.
Why should I get involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program?
- It’s fun, an opportunity to challenge yourself and have adventures!
- It helps you achieve the Fort Street exit profile
- It helps you develop and demonstrate the skills sought after by employers, universities and scholarship providers, such as problem solving, teamwork, communication, adaptability, resilience, organisation, creativity and leadership.
- The Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award can be used to get bonus ATAR points at universities including the University of NSW and can be part of a portfolio to gain entrance to the Australian National University, both of which have moved away from only selecting students based on ATARs
- It improves your academic performance and mental health.
The University of Western Sydney did some academic research into the importance of the Duke of Ed program.
The results of the study show that improvements to a Participant’s self-confidence, ability to cope with change (resilience), leadership, overall effectiveness and active involvement could be directly attributed to participation in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and could also be measured. It also found that the Award impacted the learning of the qualities of time efficiency, self-efficacy, social effectiveness, co-operative teamwork, stress management, and, external locus of control can also be attributed to the current set up of the Award, but in a less compelling manner.
For more information
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a large program, and a big team of people contribute to its success.
- If you are having difficulty registering for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program on the Online Record Book, checking that an assessor meets child protection requirements or completing the paperwork required to register, talk to a member of the Leadership Team, then talk to Ms Natalie Page in the office.
- The Bronze Adventurous Journey will be organised by Ms Penny Starr, Head Teacher Wellbeing. More information about this Adventurous Journey will be released closer to the time.
- The Silver and Gold Adventurous Journeys are being organised by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Leadership Team and by Ms Tori Jenkyn. Ms Tori Jenkyn also mentors Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participants. Ms Tori Jenkyn can be contacted here
- If you have any other questions about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, these questions can be directed to Ms Genevieve Flynn, Fort Street Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Coordinator at here