Guide for Gold Award

Participants
A note from the Founder of the Award,
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT:

Welcome to your Award challenge

Palace
Buckingham

Taking part in the Award isnt easy it requires

commitment over time but it is simple to get
started and after all your time and effort you
ic
to su c c ee d in academ will have achieved something special of which
g
It is one thin will find
u t I a m su re that you you can be proud and which universities and
subjects, b nds of the G
old
d em a
that meetin
g th e
ence of employers rate highly.
l b ro ad en your experi
Award wil m ake choices
as
As an Award participant you will have the chance to:
b le y o u to
life, and ena the opportunitie
s
le cit iz en in Design your own Award programme
a responsib ork. Set your own goals and record your progress
ble in life a way from w
availa Make a positive impact on the lives of others through community service
Learn valuable practical and social skills for career development
Take up the challenge of an adventurous journey
Connect with other Award participants at home and abroad
You can continue with activities youre already taking part in, such as sports
or volunteering, and count these towards achieving your Award, or your
Award could be an opportunity to try something new and develop a passion
for something different.
The Gold Award is the final level of The Duke of Edinburghs International
Award but it doesnt need to be the end of your Award involvement. You could
consider becoming an Award Leader, Adventurous Journey Supervisor or
Assessor, or a supporter of the Award.

2 Guide for Gold Award Participants 2014 The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation 3
Start here! Your Award programme
The Awards structure really is quite simple. Youll create your own programme, choosing activities for
So, youve decided to start your Gold Award and you should now be each section of the Award.
registered on the Online Record Book (ORB). Good start! To begin with,
you need to set up your Award by choosing an activity to do in each of the If you need advice, you can always ask your Award Leader.
four sections. You can start a new activity or develop your skills further in
activities you have already been doing. This is your Award and it is entirely up to you what you do for each section.
It is all about setting yourself a challenge and feeling great when you see
Service


yourself progress and achieve your goals.
You can take this as an opportunity to start an activity that you always
Challenge yourself to be a responsible,
wanted to do or develop your skills further in the activities you are already
caring member of the community.
involved in your Award, your choice!
See pages 1011
Next step, you have to find an Assessor for each section and agree your
aims for the sections with them. This person should be knowledgeable or
Physical

Recreation experienced in the activity and cant be a relative of yours. Your Award Leader
Challenge yourself to improve your, will confirm whether your Assessors are suitable for your chosen activities.
health, fitness and performance.
When you are ready, register your activities and your goals for each section
See pages 1213
on the Online Record Book (see pages 67).

Skills
Timescales
Challenge yourself to improve your You can start your Gold Award if you are 16 years old or more. Youll need to
skills and widen your interests. do your activities in each section regularly for a minimum amount of time, for
See pages 1415 an average of an hour a week:

}
Physical Recreation minimum 12 months Plus an extra
Adventurous Journey Skills minimum 12 months 6 months if you
Challenge yourself to journey and have not achieved
Service minimum 12 months your Silver Award
explore with your eyes open.
See pages 1617 Adventurous Journey 4 days + 3 nights
Residential Project 5 days + 4 nights
Residential Project Remember to regularly log your activities on the Online Record Book (ORB).
Challenge yourself to journey and See pages 67.
explore with your eyes open.
See pages 1819

4 Guide for Gold Award Participants 2014 The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation 5
How to record your Award ORB Frequently Asked Questions
The Online Record Book (ORB) is an Whats my username? Help, Ive forgotten my password!
easy-to-use online system in which you will
Your username will be the email Click on the Forgot your password?
record your activities and achievements as address you used when you first link and the password you chose will
you work towards your Award. registered on the Online Record Book. be emailed to you.

Sign in to the Online Record Book

Ive confirmed my email address, How are the percentages worked
If you are reading this guide, you must have completed your registration.
To access the Online Record Book, go to http://intawardorb.com or if you but still cant log on. out for my Award progress?
have a smartphone or tablet you can scan this QR code to go straight there. Your Award Leader has to authorise For the Skills, Physical Recreation and
your access to the Online Record Book Service sections of the Award, you
Register your chosen activities so check with them if this has been must undertake regular activity over
See pages 1017 for some activity ideas, or come up with your own, and then done already. a set period of time. On the Online
speak to your Award Leader, who will need to approve your choices. Dont Record Book, all logs are recorded
forget to then enter the info and your goals on the Online Record Book. in quarter, half and full hours. The
Can I change my password? general requirement for Skills, Physical
Find your Assessors Recreation and Service is to undertake
Find someone (not a relative) who is an expert in your choice of activity Yes. Hover over where it says regular effort of one hour of activity per
(such as a coach). Your Award Leader will need to agree on your choice of Welcome [your name] and a box will week or two hours per fortnight and so
Assessor for each section. You can record your Assessors details on the pop up. From here you can change on over the required time frame. You
Online Record Book. your password, update your personal cant achieve your Award by working
details and also change your profile more intensely over a shorter time.
Do the activities picture.
Do your activities regularly for the set amount of time. Log your activities
regularly on the Online Record Book and follow your progress on the My Assessor needs to sign off my
progress bar. Ive got evidence I want to save, logged activities, how can (s)he
can I save it in the Online Record do this?
Assessor reports Book?
When youve finished a section, you can download the Assessor report to be Once youve completed a section,
Yes, you can upload photographs, you can either download and print
signed by your Assessor, upload it onto the Online Record Book or talk with
videos and scanned documents into a summary of your activities for
your Assessor and submit your section for your Award Leader to approve. your Assessor to sign or ask them to
your library.
provide another form of proof, then
Celebrate! just scan it in and upload it to your
When youve completed all four sections, your Award Leader will submit it library. If you dont have access to a
for approval to The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation scanner, speak with your Award Leader
and they will authorise your Gold Award congratulations! about other ways of getting your
summary onto the Online Record Book.

6 Guide for Gold Award Participants 2014 The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation 7
Achieving your Award The sections
You will have achieved your Gold Award when: The following pages contain
You have done your activities for each section for the minimum basic information about
time period each section youll complete
Youve recorded all your activities and uploaded evidence into the
Online Record Book (ORB)
in order to achieve your
Your Assessors are happy with your progress and have made their Gold Duke of Edinburghs
reports. Once youve completed your Award make sure you submit it to International Award.
your Award Leader on the Online Record Book.

Your Award information will automatically be passed by your Award Leader Well give you some ideas to
through the Online Record Book to The Duke of Edinburghs International get you started when you are
Award Foundation to check everything is correct. All being well youll be told trying to decide what to do
that youve achieved your Gold Award. for each section. Remember
that these are only
Congratulations!
You can now receive your certificate and badge. Ask your Award Leader suggestions of activities that
where and when your Award presentation ceremony will take place this is other people have done in the
an opportunity to celebrate and to be recognised by your family and friends past... Use them to help you
for your achievement!
think about what interests
Dont forget to mention your Gold Award in your university and job you or what youd like to try.
applications.

8 Guide for Gold Award Participants 2014 The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation 9
Service
Through the Service section you can
volunteer in your community, meet
people and see how your service
benefits those around you.
Volunteering over a period of time
enables you to meet people within
the community whom you might not
otherwise engage with and realise
the positive difference you can make
to your community. It can also help
improve skills such as team work,
communication and self-confidence.
10 Guide for Gold Award Participants
Example ideas
Heres a list of some Physical Recreation ideas that you could do or use as a
starting point to create a programme of your own.
The Award has given me a
better sense of community,
and how to give the best
of myself as a way of life. It
instilled in me values such
as motivation, and kept me
motivated and committed.
Duncan Vanniekerk,
South Africa
2014 The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation 11
People in the community
Visiting people in need, such as alcohol awareness education
elderly or disabled people, on a Teaching a person to read or write
regular basis to provide assistance
with shopping, gardening or other
domestic tasks, or simply to keep
them company
Voluntary work in hospitals and
care centres
Visiting prisons or detention centres
under the auspices of the proper
authorities
Helping with a local community
radio, newspaper or blog
Sports coaching or leadership
First aid doing a course and then
making their skills available to the
benefit of the local community, ie:
being a first-aider at football
matches or dance competitions and
so on
Youth work
Acting in a leadership role in a
youth club or uniformed youth
organisation
Assisting in the teaching of primary
school children
Community education and
health education
Working with experienced persons
to educate the local community, or
specific groups within it, on
important issues such as prevention
of leprosy or malaria, combating
HIV/AIDS, primary health care,
immunisation campaigns, drug or
Environmental service
Participating in a conservation
project such as clearing wasteland,
cleaning a river, or caring for
threatened wildlife or trees
Caring for a public or school garden
Providing, maintaining and
encouraging the use of public waste
collection
Caring for animals
Working in a clean-up campaign
Promoting environmental
sustainability
Charity work
Fundraising for a charity
Creating or maintaining a charity
website or newsletter
Emergency services
Helping an emergency service team,
such as the fire services, surf
life-saving, lifeboats, coastguard,
police, mountain rescue or civil
defence
Assisting with local or national
disaster operations
Physical Recreation Example ideas
Heres a list of some Physical Recreation ideas that you could do or use as a
starting point to create a programme of your own.

Ball sports Kite boarding Walking

Water skiing Weight training
Football (of any Diving
description such Synchronized Adventure sports
as rugby, soccer, swimming
Gaelic, Australian Rowing Rock climbing
Rules, American) Canoe polo Mountaineering
Volleyball Parachuting
Basketball Winter sports Caving and
Netball pot holing
Handball Skiing Hang-gliding
Cricket Snowboarding Paragliding
Baseball Luge Kite surfing
Softball Bobsleighing
Hockey Ice skating Miscellaneous
Tennis Ice hockey
Squash Curling Dancing
Table-tennis Cycling
Lacrosse Martial arts Gymnastics
Weightlifting
The Physical Recreation section of Athletics Karate Trampolining
Aikido Wrestling
the Award encourages you to improve Running Judo Roller skating
your health and fitness, whatever Jumping (high Kickboxing Skateboarding
or long) Boxing BMX
your starting point. You could choose Tae kwon do Orienteering
Throwing (hammer,
to do a team sport, solo sport or any javelin, shot put) Kung fu Badminton
healthy activity. It could be something By keeping up with Biathlon, triathlon, Fencing Ultimate Frisbee
heptathlon or Kendo
you already do regularly, have tried activities that I completed
decathlon
for my Award I have also
before or something completely new continued to develop my
Animal sports
to you. Water sports
skills. I have gone from Horse riding
playing weight grade school Canoeing Polo
The Physical Recreation section boy rugby to captaining a Kayaking
should make you feel healthy and finalist team at senior club Swimming Fitness activities
happy, and should help you build level and even playing at Water polo
premier club level. Sailing Aerobics
valuable team skills, self-esteem and Surfing Running
confidence. Its also great fun! James Clarke, New Zealand Windsurfing Skipping

12 Guide for Gold Award Participants 2014 The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation 13
Skills Example ideas
Heres a list of some Skills section ideas that you could do or use as a starting
point to create a programme of your own.

Music Aquarium keeping Chess

Astronomy Draughts
Playing an Bee keeping Darts
instrument Bird watching Backgammon
Learning musical Conservation Other table games
theory Dog training and
Singing handling Life skills
Music event Fishing
management Forestry Business
Gardening management
Sports related Horticulture Financial literacy
Horse care and Entrepreneurship
Sports officiating handling Health awareness
Umpiring and
refereeing Communication Technical and
Sports equipment vocational skills
maintenance Film and video
Sports ground making Accounting
maintenance Film studies Hairdressing
Sign language Vehicle maintenance
Through the Skills section you can Arts and crafts Braille Engineering
Foreign languages Fashion
develop your personal interests, Ceramics Newsletter and Furniture making
and practical and social skills. Clay modelling magazine production Furniture restoration
Embroidery Reading Metal work
You could choose to improve on Dressmaking Writing Tailoring
Glass painting Presentation skills Carpentry
an existing skill or try something Jewellery making Public speaking and Cookery
I could have never
new. Its all about having a go, anticipated how much
Calligraphy debating
learning something and getting Drawing Digital media Performance skills
doing the Award influenced History of art Journalism
better at it, giving yourself a where I am today. I think Painting Information Drama and theatre
sense of achievement and well- the key reason to do the Photography technology skills
Award is to really discover Sculpture Website development Circus skills
being. Colleges, universities and what you enjoy doing and Graphic design Puppetry
employers like to see that you what you are best at. Games
have life skills too! Nature and the
Daniel Scott, environment Billiards, snooker
or pool
New Zealand
Agriculture Card games

14 Guide for Gold Award Participants 2014 The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation 15
Adventurous Journey
For the Adventurous Journey section
youll need a sense of adventure
and discovery as you go on a team
journey, expedition or exploration.
Youll have the opportunity to learn
more about the wider environment,
as well as to develop self-
confidence, team work and health.
It is a tough challenge and you
might be taken out of your comfort
zone for a bit but you will be
safe with suitable training and
supervision, and you wont
regret it!
16 Guide for Gold Award Participants
Heres a list of ideas that you could do for your Adventurous journey,
expedition or exploration, or use as a starting point to create a programme
of your own.
A group of young mothers
went on a cycle ride on
tandem bikes in the
Netherlands, with their
children in trailers for their
Adventurous Journey.
They have become more
motivated and determined
to be positive role models
for their children and
others.
Example ideas
Adventurous Journey
Exploring the natural world:
glaciations, erosion, geology, coastal
studies, river valleys, plant studies,
bird studies or animal studies,
insect studies
Exploring historic land use:
prehistoric man, historical periods
To investigate the survival or
extinction of a language
Exploring human impact: visitor
pressure in national parks, pollution
monitoring, surveys of numbers of
walkers in remote areas
To carry out health surveys or health
education in remote areas
To complete a particularly
demanding journey by foot, cycle
or canoe/kayak
To investigate group dynamics in
challenging conditions
To kayak the entire navigable stretch
of a river
Following an ancient pilgrimage trail
Cycling along an ancient trail
At the Gold level, you may consider
undertaking an even tougher challenge
such as:
Sailing across a sea or ocean
Climbing a high mountainous peak
2014 The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation 17
Residential Project
For the Residential Project section
youll need a sense of adventure
and discovery as you go on a team
journey, expedition or exploration.
It will involve you undertaking a
shared activity or specific course
with people you dont know that will
build on a talent youve developed
in another section, learn something
completely new on an intensive
course or do something to help
others. Its a big, exciting and very
fulfilling experience that will leave you
with a great sense of achievement.
18 Guide for Gold Award Participants
Example ideas
There are many different opportunities for completing a Residential Project. Some
suitable categories and examples are listed below. It is worth re-emphasising that
the activity must be purposeful and not considered as a holiday.
Personal training courses
Residential language course
Leadership training
Skills development
Ecology study course
Youth camps
Youth parliaments
Environment and conservation
projects
Environmental clean up
Volunteer work with national parks
Research on habitats and
ecosystems
Restoration of buildings
Service to other people and
communities
Provision of facilities
Construction projects
Assisting as a leader at an annual
camp for young people
Working with overseas aid charity
Working in a care home or hospital
I was in seventh heaven
when we completed our
Activity based
Adventurous Journey
successfully. Outdoor adventure courses
Sports coaching
Koushik, Sport skills development
India Crew member on a tall ship
2014 The Duke of Edinburghs International Award Foundation 19
 Any questions? Acknowledgements
If you have any questions about your Award, talk to your Award Leader
first they are there to help you. This publication has been reproduced by the Duke of Edinburgh's
International Award Australia from the The Duke of Edinburghs
International Award Foundation.
Contact Us

www.dukeofed.com.au
CALL: 1300 4 DUKES (1300 438 537)
Select Option 1 for the Online Record Book Helpdesk
Select Option 2 for your State/Territory Award Office
Select Option 3 for the National Award Office
This publication has been inspired by the work of The Duke of
Edinburghs Award in the United Kingdom and their publication DofE
Participants Handbook. The Foundation would like to acknowledge
and thank the DofE UK for their co-operation in the creation of this
international publication.

EMAIL: admin@dukeofed.com.au

If you are experiencing a technical issue, Contact the ORB Helpdesk:

by email orb@dukeofed.com.au
by phone on 1300 4 DUKES (1300 4 38537)

The Helpdesk is available Monday to Friday between 8.00am and

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PH: 02 8241 1500
20 Guide for Gold Award Participants 21