Duke of Ed during COVID-19

This is a difficult time for everyone, and Participants may, amongst other matters, be at some points concerned about how they will continue their Award and achieve their Award.

If Participants can, it’s important they stay healthy and active during this time and continuing with their Award activities can help with this – even if they’re not able to engage in their usual activities e.g. school, sport, music lessons etc.

As Participants’ usual activities may be postponed or cancelled, here are some ideas to help Participants continue with their Award activities. Please remember that all activities must still be approved by the Participants’ Award Leader, and that their parents/carers/guardians (if under-18) are happy for them to undertake these activities.

Participants may also decide to take a break from their activities and pick them up again later on, and that is fine too. Don’t forget: you have until you are 25 to achieve your Award. There’s plenty of time to make up for COVID interruptions.

Participants are encouraged to contact their Assessor for each Section for ideas on how they can continue their Award activity away from their usual sessions, or at home.

Also, remember that Participants are able to change their activity if they can no longer continue their current one, but they will need to get approval from their Award Leader first. To do this, Participants can simply change the activity on their ORB account and submit it to their Leader for approval. However, they must also ensure they get a report from the Assessor for their current activity to record what they have done so far.

Guide to Temporary Changes and Further Guidance of Award Requirements in the context of COVID-19

To support Participants during this challenging time and to encourage young people to stay active, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Australia has implemented some temporary changes to the Award Requirements. These changes are temporary and valid for the period 01 May – 31 December 2020. The temporary changes are supported by further guidance that is designed to clarify existing Award requirements outlined in the Australian Award Handbook (Edition 1 2020).

The temporary changes and further guidance are a broad set of options for continuing the Award during COVID-19. These have been agreed at an international and national level and are not compulsory.

Please see the Guide to Temporary Changes and Further Guidance of Award Requirements in the context of COVID-19

If you are have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, please ensure you speak to your Award Leader for support, and to explore ways to adapt your activities and continue towards completing your Award.