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The Duke of Edinburghs’ Award Programme (DofE)

Rygaards International School

DofE

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is an internationally recognised youth development programme that gives young people the opportunity to develop new skills, build independence, and make a positive contribution to their communities.

Founded in 1956 by Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, the programme is open to young people aged 14 to 24. Its aim is to support their personal, social, and physical development through a range of challenging and rewarding activities.

Bronze, Silver and Gold

The programme consists of three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. At Rygaards School, the Bronze Award is offered to students in Year 11. Each level requires a progressively greater commitment in terms of time, effort, and personal involvement.

To complete the programme, participants must undertake activities in the following sections:

Activities:

Participants contribute to their local community through volunteering, for example in a charity shop, sports club or care home.

Participants choose a skill they would like to develop, such as learning a musical instrument, cooking, or pursuing another personal interest.

Participants engage in a sport or other physical activity, promoting health, wellbeing and personal growth.

The programme culminates in an outdoor expedition, planned and completed by the participants in the spring. The expedition involves a hike of around 25 kilometres, an overnight stay in tents, and challenges the students to demonstrate teamwork, planning skills, resilience and perseverance.

Throughout the year, the students also attend a weekly double-period lesson, where they develop essential expedition skills such as first aid, map reading and navigation, route planning, outdoor cooking, and preparing equipment for a long-distance hike.

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Commitment, Personal Development and Achievement

The DofE programme requires dedication, perseverance and self-discipline, as each level has specific requirements that participants must meet in order to complete the various sections. Students are therefore expected to commit time consistently over an extended period to take part in and complete their chosen activities.

At Rygaards School, students in Year 9 have the opportunity to work towards the Bronze Award. This requires a minimum of three months’ participation in each of the three main sections, plus an additional three months in at least one of those sections. The programme also includes training expeditions, which take place over two Saturdays, as well as the annual qualifying expedition, a two-day challenge involving one overnight stay in tents. Throughout the programme, participants are required to keep a logbook and record their progress and achievements.

The Silver Award is currently available only to students in Year 11, while the Gold Award can be undertaken by arrangement, as participants will typically have completed their compulsory schooling by that stage.

Although demanding, the programme helps young people develop valuable life skills, including planning, time management, teamwork and leadership. Participants learn to set meaningful goals and work towards them with determination and resilience, qualities that benefit them both at school and throughout their future lives

Learn more: DofE

Registration

The fee for participating in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) programme is DKK 3,000 per academic year.

Registration takes place in August.

To be accepted onto the programme, students must submit a personal statement outlining their motivation and take part in an interview. Further information about the application process and the programme will be shared via SkoleIntra at the beginning of the academic year.