At St Andrews Bangkok, the IA is offered as part of the High School ECA programme. Since its launch 60 years ago, the IA has inspired millions of young people to transform their lives. Through non formal education, the IA can play a critical role in a young person’s personal development and is achievable by any young person who wants to take up the challenge.
The IA challenges young people to dream big, celebrate their achievements and make a difference in their world. Through developing transferable skills, increasing their fitness levels, cultivating a sense of adventure and volunteering in their community, the Award helps young people to find their purpose, passion and place in the world.
Impacting young people and communities worldwide
The Award is a global framework for non-formal education and learning, which challenges young people to dream big, celebrate their achievements and make a difference in their world. Through developing transferable skills, increasing their fitness levels, cultivating a sense of adventure and volunteering in their community, the Award helps young people to find their purpose, passion and place in the world.
Operating in over 130 countries
A truly international accreditation
Building confidence, skills and resilience
Operating in more than 130 countries and territories, this organisation helps to inspire millions of young people everyday. And although the Award’s framework remains the same wherever it is delivered, no two Awards are the same. Instead, each young person designs and creates their own bespoke programme, unique to them. There are currently more than a million young people doing their Award around the world, via hundreds of thousands of youth-focused partners and operators, including schools, youth organisations, examination boards and youth offender institutions.
How does the Award work?
There are four sections designed to provide a balanced programme of personal development and challenge. At each level, young people must commit to completing a minimum period of participation for each of the sections, encouraging commitment and resilience, whilst also developing positive habits for the future. There is also an additional requirement to complete a Gold Residential Project at the Gold level. The aim of this section is to broaden experience through living and working with others.
The Programmes
| Requirements | BRONZE | SILVER | GOLD | |
| Voluntary Service | Volunteering is simple. It’s about choosing to give time to help people, the community or society, the environment or animals. | 3 months | 6 months | 12 months |
| Physical Recreation | For your physical activity you need to choose any sport, dance or fitness activity – in short, anything that requires a sustained level of energy and physical activity. | 3 months | 6 months OR 3 months |
12 months OR 6 months |
| Skills | For your skills activity you need to choose an activity that will allow you to prove you have broadened your understanding and increased your expertise in your chosen skill. It should not be a physical activity. | 3 months | 6 months OR 3 months |
12 months OR 6 months |
| Adventurous Journey | For your Expedition section, you will need to plan, train for and complete an unaccompanied, self-reliant expedition with an agreed aim. You must do the correct training for your level and mode of travel, at least one practice expedition, a qualifying expedition (the one that is assessed) and a final presentation in order to complete the section. | 2 days/1 night | 3 days/2 nights | 4 days/3 nights PLUS: Residential section: Undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights. |
| Plus | You also have to spend an extra 3 months on 1 of the Volunteering, Physical or Skills sections. It’s your choice which one you would like to do. | If you didn’t do Bronze, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections. | If you didn’t do Silver, you must undertake a further 6 months in either the Volunteering or the longer of the Physical or Skills sections. | |
What if I am interested in taking part in the Award?
Please contact Ms Nikki at [nikki.pa@standrews.ac.th] and to learn more about the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (IA) click here.
