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Become an Award Leader

Why become an Award Leader?

Award Leaders play a critical role in supporting the personal development of our young Duke of Ed Award participants as they work towards their goals. But you also have an opportunity to build your own skill set. As an Award Leader, you’ll gain valuable leadership and management experience that can contribute to your professional development and career progression.

Benefits of being an Award Leader

Delivering the Duke of Ed in your school or community group can be incredibly rewarding. 

“It is rewarding to be able to see students successfully participate in activities outside of the classroom in varying environments. It fills me with a sense of pride being able to see students develop confidence when successfully overcoming personal challenges in unfamiliar environments.”

Kylie, Taminmin Special Education Centre

What does an Award Leader do?

An Award Leader is appointed by an Award Centre organisation as the key contact person and mentor for Award Participants – although an Award Centre can appoint more than one Award Leader. While Award Leaders are responsible for delivering The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award in the organisation, larger organisations may appoint volunteer Assistant Leaders to help deliver the Award.

As an Award Leader on the front line of the Award, your role is to engage young people in the Framework by continuing to encourage and inspire them throughout their journey. Whether you are the only Award Leader in an organisation, or you are working with other Award Leaders, you will be individually or jointly responsible for ensuring continuity of the Award Framework, which is usually completed over a 12-month period.

All our Award Leaders will be trained in the features of the Award, so you will be equipped with the knowledge to guide and mentor participants around the Award requirements while helping them set achievable goals and offering encouragement. As the main source of motivation and inspiration for Award Participants, you’ll need to have a positive attitude and the ability to build strong relationships with young people.

As an Award Leader, you must also be able to identify and respond to the varying abilities and pace of Award Participants in an organisation, offering the right support and guidance to those who need it as they complete their journey.

Award Leader roles and responsibilities

Award Leaders are the most important and influential people to our Award Participants. For this reason, Award Leaders have responsibilities to the young people they lead and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award - Australia. Here are the key steps you’ll need to take to become an Award Leader.

For more information on Award Leader Roles and Responsibilities refer to our handbook on page 33 section 2.2.1

Award Handbook

Contact your State or Territory Award Office for information about registering as an Award Leader.

Other advantages of becoming an Award Leader

Makes your resume stand out

With experience managing Award Assessors and volunteers to helping Award Participants organise Adventurous Journeys and volunteering experiences, delivering the Award gives Award Leaders strong leadership, coaching, communication and organisational skills that can help their careers.

Support the next generation of leaders

Becoming an Award Leader provides a great opportunity for adults to guide and inspire the next generation of leaders. Through your work, you’ll be able to contribute to the personal development of young people by helping them to broaden their experiences and build important life skills for the future.

Connects sporting groups, schools and community groups with the local community

By helping Participants find volunteering roles and other local activities like sports, Award Leaders build relationships within their local community that can benefit their Award participants and organisation in the long term.

Next steps...

If you’d like to know how to become an Award Leader, contact your State or Territory Award Office for further information, click here for their contact details.

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