Global Impact

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a global holistic education framework which operates in more than 130 countries and territories. There are 1.3 million young people currently completing their own unique programme around the world, regardless of ability, experience or culture.

The Award in China encourages young people to focus on developing their wider ‘universal’ skills – or life- skills, which help young people ensure they are ready for the world. When paired with a formal education, it is evidenced that the Award provides a fantastic foundation for a young people to improve themselves. With support of adult mentors, the Award helps our young people to unleash their passions, and make a positive contribution to our society.

The ways in which the Award positively affects individuals and communities include:

• Improved employability and earning potential due to improved life skills.
• Improved physical health and fitness due to increased long-term participation in physical activities.
• Improved mental health and emotional wellbeing due to increased social interaction, self- confidence, enhanced life skills and sense of purpose.
• Increased engagement with charitable and community causes directly, through the Service section of the Award, and indirectly, through increased likelihood of long-term participation in volunteering and other forms of community and local participation.
• Improved environmental impact due to involvement in environmental projects and / or spending more time in nature as a part of Award activities. Increased awareness of environmental issues and greater connection with and compassion for nature, resulting in an increase in positive, or reduction in negative, environmental impacts.
• Increased social and community cohesion; a greater respect for diversity and ability to accept differences, as a result of interacting with people of different ages, abilities and backgrounds. Community spirit also increases, as a result of greater participation in civic life through Award activities.

• Reduced offending. Reduction in first-term offending and reduction in reoffending by young offenders, due to long-term increased levels of physical activity, improved life skills, increased social inclusion and improved social skills resulting from increased levels of social interaction.