The Duke of Edinburgh program is a globally recognized initiative designed to empower young people to develop essential life skills, foster personal growth, and achieve their full potential. Guided by its core principles, the program is:

• Enjoyable: Participants engage in meaningful and fun activities that encourage exploration and discovery.
• Non-competitive: Success is measured by personal progress rather than comparison with others, ensuring a supportive environment for all participants.
• Achievable by All: Open to young people from diverse backgrounds and abilities, the program is inclusive and adaptable to individual needs.
• Voluntary: Participation is by choice, allowing students to take ownership of their journey and commitment.
• Personal Development: The program focuses on fostering essential qualities such as resilience, teamwork, confidence, and independence.
• Personalised: Activities and goals are tailored to each participant’s interests, abilities, and aspirations.
• Balanced: Participants engage in a mix of physical, skill-based, and service-oriented activities, ensuring holistic development.
• Progressive: The program offers three levels—Bronze, Silver, and Gold—each building on the previous one, encouraging growth and continuous improvement.
• Achievement-focused: Participants set and work toward personal goals, celebrating their successes upon completion of each stage.
• Demands Commitment: Participants develop a strong sense of responsibility and dedication, as the program requires consistent effort and determination over time.

By integrating these principles, the Duke of Edinburgh program inspires young people to challenge themselves, explore their potential, and contribute positively to their communities, equipping them with skills for life.”

1. Expedition

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.

Your expedition must be completed by your own physical efforts (but you have loads of choices, not just on foot!) with minimal external intervention and without motorised assistance. Your route should also be a continuous journey.

If you want information on how long to do the section please visit timescales.

Modes of travel

• Foot
• Bicycle
• Boat
• Canoe or kayak
• Wheelchair
• Horseback

TheDofE Expedition Kit List is the essential checklist when preparing the kit you need. All DofE recommended kit is tried and tested, so you know it’s fit for expedition.

2. Physical

You need to choose any sport, dance or fitness activity – in short, anything that requires a sustained level of energy and physical activity. For example, playing a sport regularly and showing personal improvement would count. However, learning to be a coach in the same sport would be a Skills section activity, whilst being a volunteer coach counts for the Volunteering section.

3. Volunteering
Volunteering is about giving time to do something meaningful, motivated by making a difference rather than making money.
Participants should look for impactful opportunities around them – this can be in person or online. Meaningful volunteering is different for everyone. There are many people and organisations that are willing to provide participants with opportunities for volunteering. An opportunity could be found within your community, at social enterprises, charities, not-for-profit organisations and Volunteering Approved Activity Providers.

Young people can also volunteer for social action causes, campaigns and within their Licensed Organisation (e.g., their school or youth group). Some commercial organisations can be considered, providing they can demonstrate that they offer volunteering opportunities in line with our outcomes and not as a financial benefit to themselves. Further guidance on commercial volunteering can be found in our FAQs on DofE.org.

You can also volunteer in a team, which might be an easier way to find an activity if you can identify a local need you can help with.

4. 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, for example horse riding, as this counts towards your Physical section, however, you could choose to learn about caring for horses.

5. Residential – Gold only
You need to undertake a shared activity or specific course with people you don’t know, in a residential setting away from home and in an unfamiliar environment. Evenings are often as much a part of the experience as daytime activities.

This section offers a high degree of flexibility but it must be done with an organised group, registered charity or Approved Activity Provider. You must join it individually and not with an existing group of friends or as part of a school or youth group trip. You will be staying away – anything from an activity centre or camp to a boat or barge – but you cannot stay with friends or relatives.

There are no age restrictions on who you can do your residential activity with, for example, a conservation project has volunteers of all ages on it – you may even be the only person under 25 or doing your DofE.

Your activity can be anything that provides you with an opportunity for broadening your interests and experiences. It is ideal for trying something new or it can be related to existing interests or activities followed in other sections of your DofE programme.

The minimum periods of participation for each level of The Award (and for both direct entrants and previous DofE Award holders) are also detailed in the table below: