During the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Award Foundation working in collaboration with National Award Operators, issued ‘Temporary Changes and Further Guidance of Award Requirements in the context of COVID-19’ to provide flexibility to the existing Award Requirements.

Due to the success of the ‘Temporary Changes’ enabling further access to the Award, some of these changes have now been adopted and are included in the latest version of the Award Handbook, which is now available at www.dukeofed.com.au/resources. These include:

1. Age requirements – completion after a Participant’s 25th Birthday due to extenuating circumstances.
2. Voluntary Service – volunteering for a family member due to extenuating circumstances.
3. Adventurous Journeys - overnight accommodation at home due to extenuating circumstances.
4. Adventurous Journeys – undertaken in a substantially unfamiliar and challenging environment.
5. Virtual AJs – part or all of an Adventurous Journey undertaken using a virtual mode.
6. Gold Residential - overnight accommodation at home or undertaking a component virtually due to extenuating circumstances.

The ‘Temporary Changes and Further Guidance of Award Requirements in the context of COVID-19’ that have not been adopted will cease on 1st May 2023. These include:

1. Adventurous Journeys - Award Leaders can waive the requirement for a Bronze Practice Journey or where a Practice Journey has been previously completed, it can be counted as the Bronze Qualifying Journey.
2. Adventurous Journeys - Recognising the Silver Practice Journey as the Bronze Qualifying Journey.
3. Adventurous Journeys - The Gold Practice Journey can count as the Silver Qualifying Journey.

At the same time, a full review of the Award Requirements was undertaken which include the following changes:

1. New Definition ‘Goals’- to be used as a guide when supporting Participants to set goals for each Section.
2. Age Requirements – No age restriction for continuation from the Silver to the Gold Award.
3. Adventurous Journeys – introduction of

• Team Goals
• No distinction between ‘Expedition/Exploration’
• Updated ‘Adventurous Project’ definition
• New Practice Journey duration options

This Information Pack details the key changes made to the Award Handbook. These changes are now active and can be used immediately by Award Centres.

The ‘Temporary Changes and Further Guidance of Award Requirements in the context of COVID-19’ will cease on 1st May 2023.