Inspirational young Indians presented International
Award by His Royal Highness The Earl
Of Wessex.
34 young people from nine schools and organisations across India
were recognised and presented with a top international honour
after receiving their Gold Award from the International Award for
Young People, India.
The Awards were presented at the Gold Award Ceremony held at the
India International Centre in New Delhi on 7 February 2018, by
His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex, Chair, The Duke of
Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation.
His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex said:
It has been a great honour to meet such inspiring young people,
hear about their Award journeys and celebrate their
achievements.
Achieving your Gold Award is not an easy task – it requires
commitment, tests your resilience and challenges you to step
outside your comfort zone. But it also opens up many
opportunities for young people and enables them to be their own
agents of change, both for themselves and their communities.
Kapil Bhalla, National Director of the International Award for
Young People, India, said:
The Award helps India’s young people to challenge themselves,
experience life and find their purpose, passion and place in
the world. The Gold Award challenges participants over 18
months and more, in five areas - physical activity, skill
development, service to community and by taking them outside of
their comfort zone, through an adventurous journey and
residential project.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a global,
non-formal education framework which challenges young people to
discover their potential and celebrate their achievements. It
operates in more than 130 countries and territories around the
world, helping to inspire over 1.3 million young people every
year.
The International Award for Young People, India - also known as
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award - is the world’s
leading youth achievement Award, available to all young people
aged 14-24, regardless of their background, culture, physical
ability, skills and interests.
It is delivered around the world by schools, colleges,
universities, employers, social clubs, uniformed and
non-uniformed youth organisations, young offenders’ institutions,
religious organisations, sports clubs and other civic
organisations.
Founded in 1956 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, the Award enables
young people to learn, develop and thrive through non-formal
education, equipping them for life.
It challenges participants, pushing them to their personal limits
and helping them to discover they are capable of so much more
than they ever thought possible.
Since its launch over 60 years ago, millions of young people have
participated and received Awards, with millions more benefiting
from its impact in communities around the world.
In India, the Award was first introduced in 1962 and has since
equipped over 100,000 young people and is delivered in more than
260 Award units, schools, universities, community organisations
etc.
In 2017 alone, more than 42,000 participants were doing the Award
programme in India.
The Award in India also has a strong commitment to work with
young people who are considered at risk or marginalised; those
with social, physical or economic challenges. The Award aims to
ensure at least 20% of all enrolment encompasses young people
from these backgrounds.
The International Award for Young People has established key
partnerships with NGOs working within the marginalised youth
sector, including rural and urban migrants with economic and
social challenges and young people with special needs.
The Duke of Edinburgh`s International Award
Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales
(1072453). The Foundation’s headquarters are in London and it has
regional offices in the Americas, Africa, Asia Pacific and EMAS
(Europe, Mediterranean and Arab States).
