Hundreds of thousands of young people take part in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) each year – and you could be one of them. We help young people build lifelong belief in themselves, supporting them to take on their own challenges, follow their passions and discover talents they never knew they had.

The DofE is about you and your friends sharing amazing experiences together, having fun, and just maybe changing your futures along the way. Doing your Award helps to turn the things you love, and the things you’ve always wanted to try, into powerful lifelong skills that can help you get a job, change your community, and take on anything life throws your way. And yes, there’s going to be a bit of camping involved.

Taking part in a DofE journey will give you skills, confidence, and something to talk about when you apply for college, university or a job. Beyond your academic achievements, universities want to see evidence of “soft skills” that you have developed through extra-curricular activities, such as communication, commitment, leadership and teamwork. Your DofE Award is a fantastic way to demonstrate and evidence these skills in practice.

You’ll also make a difference to other people’s lives and your community, become fitter and healthier, make new friends and have memories to last you a lifetime. Our participants also tell us that doing their DofE supports their self-belief and resilience, can boost their mental health and wellbeing, and can help them face and overcome personal challenges. Read more about Chloe’s journey with the DofE and mental health.

Hear about other young people’s DofE experiences and find out why top employers look out for Award holders when recruiting.