12 March, Karlovy Vary - Twenty-eight young people received the Duke of Edinburgh International Award, DofE for short, in Karlovy Vary. The non-formal education programme is for people aged 13 to 24. It has been running in the Czech Republic since 1995.
The awards were presented to the young people for bronze and silver level. Each participant in the programme chooses a skill, sport and volunteer activity according to their interest. They then dedicate themselves to these for several months. They must also complete a team expedition. "DofE prepares young people for life and work. To find out for themselves what they enjoy in life, what fulfils them, what they are good at. To persevere and not get discouraged by a future that is not very bright. To find a responsible and firm relationship with the community they live in and the society they shape," says Gabriela Drastichová, Director of the Czech office of the International Prize.
In 2024, 167 pupils from the Karlovy Vary Region joined the DofE programme
In the Karlovy Vary Region, a total of 167 primary and secondary school pupils were involved in the programme last year. In total, there are 6 DofE centres in the region.
"I am very honoured to be at the awards ceremony and to meet all these great young people in person. I would really like them to find meaning in the activities that they have been involved in within the DofE and maybe it has become a hobby or even a job for them. The Karlovy Vary Region has been supporting the prestigious informal education and volunteering programme since 2022. I am pleased that we are helping young people in their personal development," said Hana Žáková, Regional Councillor for Education, Training, Sport and Sport.
At the First Czech Grammar School in Karlovy Vary, for example, Barbora Owczarzy joined the DofE. After the bronze she has now completed the silver level. In movement, she made it a point to walk and exercise regularly in the gym, in skills she regularly baked desserts for the café and volunteered once a week in the children's ward at the Karlovy Vary Regional Hospital. "This experience confirmed that my decision to study medicine was the right one and that it is a profession that will fulfill me in life," Barbora says. "I learned that I can step out of my comfort zone, even if it wasn't always easy," she adds.
The head of the DofE at the Karlovy Vary Grammar School, Dana Ančincová, admits that the programme is a lot of work. "Young people learn to help others, they learn to push their personal boundaries. It's great preparation for life!"
About the Duke of Edinburgh International Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award programme was founded by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1956 to encourage the self-development of boys and girls regardless of their background, physical ability or skill. The programme was brought to the Czech Republic by golf champion Luisa Abrahams. Last year, over 8,800 young people took part in the programme across the country in nearly four hundred DofE centres. Nearly 900 volunteer DofE leaders - teachers, preventers, educators or coaches - accompanied them at 381 DofE centres.
