Experiences outside the classroom help you become committed, responsible, and fulfilled global citizens.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is the world’s leading youth achievement award and is available to students aged 14 and up. It equips you for life, regardless of your background, culture, physical ability, skills, or interests. Doing the Award is a personal challenge and not a competition against others. It pushes you to your personal limits and recognizes your achievements. 

For more information about the Duke of Edinburgh at KIS, please click here.

Overview and Benefits

Doing the International Award is a real adventure from beginning to end. You just need to be over 14 years old and want to do something different, adventurous, and fun! 

You choose what you are going to do, so your program can be full of activities and projects that get you excited. 

Along the way you’ll pick up experiences, friends, and skills that will stay with you for life. Better still, having an International Award has been shown to make people stand out from the crowd when it comes to job and university interviews. It gives you something to put on your CV, lots to talk about at an interview, and shows you’ve developed the skills interviewers are looking for.

The Award is comprised of three levels and four sections. Participants complete all four sections at each level in order to achieve their Award. At Gold level, participants also complete a Residential Project. 

So why should you do your International Award? What are you going to get out of doing it? Well, the benefits are endless. It’s difficult to list them all, so here’s a quick snapshot. You will:

• Have lots of fun
• Get healthier, fitter, and happier 
• Meet incredible people and make lasting friendships
• Have amazing new experiences
• Find talents you didn’t know you had 
• Gain skills that employers value, which you can reference on your CV
• Become more confident and independent
• Stand out from the crowd in college, university and job applications
• Make memories that will last a lifetime.

Guiding principles of the Award

• Individual: you design your own program, with help from Award Leaders
• Non-competitive: it’s a personal challenge, not a competition against others
• Achievable: anyone can achieve the award, regardless of ability, gender, background or location
• Voluntary: it’s your choice to make the commitment
• Developmental: it provides experiences & skills which prepare you for life after school 
• Balanced: your mind, body and spirit will all be engaged
• Progressive: at each level, the Award demands more time and commitment 
• Inspirational: you will be inspired to exceed your expectations
• Persistence: the Award requires persistence and cannot be completed with a short burst of enthusiasm
• Enjoyable: participants and leaders should find the Award enjoyable, fulfilling and rewarding.

The three levels to the Award: 

• Bronze: for those over 14 years. 6 months minimum participation. 
• Silver: for those over 15 years. 12 months minimum participation 
• Gold: for those over 16 years. 18 months minimum participation 

The four sections of the Award: 

• Service: Participants volunteer in their communities, make a positive contribution to society and demonstrate social responsibility.
• Physical Recreation: Encourages young people to improve their fitness and performance and enjoy healthy lifestyles for good mental and physical well being.
• Skills: Enables participants to develop their talents, broaden their abilities, increase their self‐confidence and improve their employability.
• Adventurous Journey: Young people discover a spirit of adventure and gain a deeper understanding of the environment and the great outdoors.