Duke of Edinburgh Award 101

By Nate Levy '26

If I have learned one thing from the Duke of Edinburgh Award, it is that progress does not always need to be flawless from week to week. Activities pause. Schedules fall apart. Interests change. You occasionally fade away and then you come back. And this is just one of the many reasons as to why the Award is so effective. It’s not built around the idea of a perfect student life.

Hello, parents and students! My name is Nate Levy, and I am a grade 12 student at WPGA and a school representative for the Duke of Edinburgh Award. I have been with this program long enough to notice how it works with different individuals, and the biggest thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to be a specific type of person to do Duke of Ed. No one needs to be the next Michael Phelps, or have some exceptional talent, or be engaged in the most impressive volunteer work that can be imagined. All you need is commitment.

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Truthfully, my personal Award journey has not been perfect. When I first started, I decided to choose drumming as my skill for the award. While I’ve always been a drummer and I always will be, I’ve long counted myself among the piano-curious. Entering eleventh grade, a friend introduced me to a simple blues structure in C major, as basic as it gets, and just like that, I was hooked. I spent many odd hours in the music room, noodling and teaching myself chords. I realized piano was something I genuinely wanted to pursue, so I decided to shift my skill for the award from drumming to piano. It’s also not like I was completely starting over. The award is designed to track your growth as it happens.

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If you are not familiar with the Award itself, here is a basic explanation: The Duke of Edinburgh Award is an internationally recognized program for students aged 14-24. It has three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. All three levels consist of four parts, namely: Voluntary Service, Physical Recreation, Skills, and an Adventurous Journey. At the beginning of your award level, you set a goal for yourself and track your commitment to it as you log hours. As soon as you’ve satisfied the required amount of time (a minimum of one hour a week for 13, 26 or 52 weeks), you complete that level. At the Gold level, students also complete a fifth component: the Gold Project, a five-day residential experience that pushes participants to step outside their usual environment and comfort zone. I would add that the Duke of Ed is not about doing monumental things but rather about making small commitments that become meaningful.

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Many people, especially many from WPGA, hit a wall during Winter Break, exam season, or when sports schedules change, and they assume they’ve “ruined” their progress. You haven’t. The system is highly flexible, and you can always make up the lost time when you get back into your routine. If you put in extra time during a week, log it. If you did more than an hour, don’t short yourself. It adds up faster than you think, especially if you’re consistent for even a couple of months. Consistency is key.

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So what does Duke of Ed look like at WPGA?

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Well, at WPGA, the Adventurous Journey requirement is already fulfilled with outdoor ed trips. In fact, the grade 9s are in a super position, as they will be attending an OE trip to Manning Park! Once back, all they’ll have to do is complete a short reflection and that will be their whole Adventurous Journey part. This is an excellent opportunity, since the Journey part of the award is usually a relatively tricky task to set up. For grade 10, 11, and 12, all students have to do is log their hours, keep the wheels turning, and complete their level! And, when you get stuck or confused, you’ll always be helped by Mr. Korol, the school's Duke of Edinburgh Award Coordinator, or Mr. Lee, our Award Leader. Mr. Korol and Mr. Lee take the time to guide students through activities and correct their errors before they become a bigger headache. Use that support; Mr. Korol and Mr. Lee are available every Thursday at lunch in room 114. 

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As a senior who will be graduating this spring, I’m so glad that I participated in the Duke of Ed Award, and I’m thankful for all the lessons it’s taught me. Update your Duke of Ed today!