The Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is also known as the Premio Infante D. Henrique in Portugal and the International Award elsewhere. It is a challenging personal journey for students in Year 9 and above. There are three successive levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

The focus for students is on Volunteering, Physical and Skills, with a final Expedition section to round things off. The award puts students in good standing with university applications and offers the opportunity for excellent personal development. All OIS students are encouraged to participate, but it is not compulsory.

Duke of Edinburgh Award Sections

The Skills section pushes the participant to take up something new, such as Public Speaking, or learning to play a musical instrument. It makes one aware of attention to detail and the discipline required to progress.

Moreover, the Physical section allows the participant to improve individual and teamwork skills in a sporting environment and improve fitness levels. The Volunteering section requires the participant to make sacrifices and, more importantly, to think of others less fortunate than themselves.

As they progress through the levels of the award, the service needs to be more meaningful. The expedition highlights the importance of the collective, where no individual is more important than the group.

It places the participant in situations that may be difficult and extremely challenging, in which he they may be out of their comfort zone but they will learn a lot about themselves and gain experiences that will help them in this journey through life.