9 April 2024, Prague. Under the auspices of the Senate Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Human Rights and Petitions, 82 graduates of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award (DofE) programme were presented with their awards today at the Senate.
"The DofE programme is an extremely important part of a young person's personal development system. It helps people discover the right values, develop their own potential, build resilience, courage and the ability to stand up for themselves and others. At a time when the world is awash with too much information and young people are spending more and more time passively absorbing it, it is highly desirable to promote young people's active involvement in the world around them." said the chairman of the Senate Education Committee Jiří Růžička.
In the Czech Republic, the programme has been inspiring young people aged 14 to 24 since 1995, with 9,200 students from 350 schools participating in 2023. Each participant chooses a skill, sporting activity and volunteer help according to their interest, and then pursues these for a period of time, which is linked to the completion of bronze, silver and gold levels. Completion of the programme is followed by a team expedition.
"Since my arrival in the Czech Republic last year, I have been very impressed by the way young Czechs have received the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The Duke of Edinburgh himself was delighted when he saw it for himself here last May." said the British ambassador Matt Field in his speech to the students.
The DofE Executive Director also congratulated the graduates Tomas Vokac: "You have reached the end of the programme, you have shown courage, determination and a sense of responsibility. These are values that will be important to you as you continue on your journey through life. It does not end with the Golden Ceremony, I believe that you will continue your favourite activities and that you will continue to enjoy volunteering because it has its irreplaceable meaning."
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. In 1988 an international association was established to support the operation outside the UK.
Source: the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
