The Duke of Edinburgh's Award was founded in 1956 by His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It is a prestigious self-development program that equips students with life skills to make a difference in themselves, their communities and their countries. The award allows students to set their own level of challenge and select the activities they want to participate in. Students participate in a balanced, non-competitive program of voluntary activities which encourages personal discovery, growth, self-reliance, perseverance, and responsibility.
Currently, the Award runs in 126 countries worldwide and almost 6 million young people have challenged themselves by participating in the program. It is recognized and valued by employers and universities worldwide. As one of Canada's leading private high schools, Columbia International College is proud to offer this program to our students, providing them with the opportunity to discover their potential and positively impact their community.
To qualify for the award, students are required to participate in a full range of experiences, as listed below:
- Service (helping people in the community)
- Skills (covering almost any hobby, talents and interest)
- Physical Recreation (sports, dance & fitness)
- Educational Expeditions (participation and completion in the training/planning of any journey on foot/horseback/boat/bicycle etc.)
As students participate in this program and engage in physical and creative activities, they will:
- Discover new talents and abilities
- Increase personal growth and self-confidence
- Interact with people from different walks of life and make new friends
- Experience and learn new cultures
- Discover a sense of achievement that comes from serving the community
- Understand their strengths and weaknesses and learn how to manage them effectively for success
- Learn teamwork, communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills
- Negotiate their own personal program of participation, and gradually take responsibility for their own learning
Students enrolled in the Gold program will automatically be registered and will qualify for the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award by meeting the core requirements as listed below.
| Program Name |
Gold (75 hours) |
Silver (50 hours) |
Bronze (25 hours) |
| Age | 15 years and under | 16 years and under | 17 years and older |
| Leadership | Choose 3 or more clubs/activities | Choose 2 or more clubs/activities | Optional choice of 1 or more clubs/activities |
| Arts & Clubs | |||
| Athletics | |||
| Service | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Special Events | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Duke Of Edinburgh Award | Compulsory | Optional | Optional |