Overview & Benefits

Doing the International Award is a real adventure from beginning to end. You just need to be over 14 years old want to do something different, adventurous, and fun!

You choose what you are going to do, so your program can be full of activities and projects that get you excited.

Along the way you’ll pick up experiences, friends and skills that will stay with you for life. Better still, having an International Award has been shown to make people stand out from the crowd when it comes to job and university interviews. It gives you something to put on your CV, lots to talk about at an interview, and shows you’ve developed the skills interviewers are looking for.

The Award is comprised of three levels and four sections. Participants complete all four sections at each level in order to achieve their Award. At Gold level, participants also complete a Residential Project.

The three levels to the Award:

Bronze: for those over 14 years. 6 months minimum participation.
Silver: for those over 15 years. 12 months minimum participation
Gold: for those over 16 years. 18 months minimum participation

The four sections of the Award:

Service: Participants volunteer in their communities, make a positive contribution to society and demonstrate social responsibility.
Physical Recreation: Encourages young people to improve their fitness and performance and enjoy healthy lifestyles for good mental and physical well being.
Skills: Enables participants to develop their talents, broaden their abilities, increase their self‐confidence and improve their employability.
Adventurous Journey: Young people discover a spirit of adventure and gain a deeper understanding of the environment and the great outdoors.

So why should you do your International Award? What are you going to get out of doing it? Well, the benefits are endless. It’s difficult to list them all, so here’s a quick snapshot. You will:

Have lots of fun
Get healthier, fitter, and happier
Meet incredible people and make lasting friendships
Have amazing new experiences
Find talents you didn’t know you had
Gain skills that employers value, which you can reference on your CV
Become more confident and independent
Stand out from the crowd in college, university and job applications
Make memories that will last a lifetime.

Guiding principles of the Award

Individual: you design your own program, with help from Award Leaders
Non-competitive: it’s a personal challenge, not a competition against others
Achievable: anyone can achieve the award, regardless of ability, gender, background or location
Voluntary: it’s your choice to make the commitment
Developmental: it provides experiences & skills which prepare you for life after school
Balanced: your mind, body and spirit will all be engaged
Progressive: at each level, the Award demands more time and commitment
Inspirational: you will be inspired to exceed your expectations
Persistence: the Award requires persistence and cannot be completed with a short burst of enthusiasm
Enjoyable: participants and leaders should find the Award enjoyable, fulfilling and rewarding.

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