Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award
Compass International School is proud to be one of only a few International Award Centres (IACs) in Doha. Last year, more than 20 students successfully attained the Bronze Standard of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and this year we will have even more students participating in the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.
What is the DofE?
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award equips young people for life. It is the world’s leading youth achievement award. In 2015 more than 1.1 million young people around the world took part in the Award in over 140 countries and territories. Since the Award’s launch 60 years ago, it has inspired millions of young people to transform their lives.
By creating opportunities for young people to develop skills, get physically active, give service and experience adventure, the Award can play a critical role in their development outside the classroom. It also allows their achievement to be consistently recognised worldwide, giving young people unique international accreditation of their experiences.
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award is transforming individuals, communities and societies around the world. Young people who do the Award become more confident and resilient, and develop skills in areas such as communication, problem solving and leadership. This in turn impacts on their communities, who see improvements in areas including employability, health and wellbeing, and educational attainment.
Who can participate?
The Award is open to all young people regardless of their background and circumstances. At Compass International School in 2017-18, the Bronze Award will be open to students in Year 10, the Silver Award will be open to students in Years 11 to 13 and the Gold Award only to those who have successfully completed their Silver Award.
Why do the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award?
In addition to strengthening university applications and CVs, award holders develop key life skills and mature as individuals:
· 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 wellbeing.
· 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.
Year 12 students who are required to complete 150 hours of CAS as part of their IB Diploma can choose their activities in such a way that they count towards both CAS and DofE meaning that they can get a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award simply by taking part in activities they would normally have done as part of their time in the school.
For more information on the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, please contact Dr John Warren, the school’s Award Co-ordinator.
