The Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award adds esports as part of skills section

Get your award by playing Rocket League, Overwatch, or FIFA

The traditionally outdoor-focused Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award has added esports as a Skills activity that young people can complete.

Through developing transferable skills, increasing their fitness levels, cultivating a sense of adventure and volunteering in their community, the Award helps young people to find their purpose, passion and place in the world. The Award has been updated to allow young people to use esports as part of their skills section.

In a press release, the Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award CEO Ruth Marvel said: “Esports is one of the fastest growing activities in the UK and helps young people develop essential skills. The Award has a proud history of evolving our programmes to reflect the changing interests and needs of young people, so I’m delighted that, following a successful pilot, we’ve added esports to the Award Skills list.”

Marvel added, “The Award is all about helping young people develop themselves, so they have the skills and confidence to make the most of whatever life throws at them. Setting yourself challenges and mastering new skills is core to the Award experience and esports provides a structured and safe way to do this, while also being a lot of fun.”

Queen Mary’s College is in Basingstoke and runs the Award scheme. They have their own esports facilities for their student. Their head of creative arts, James Fraser-Murison, said, “It’s great to see so many young people gaming as part of a team – making friends in a physical format in a facility like this, and also creating and forging brand new friendships with people they’ve never met before. It’s fantastic that the Award now offers esports as an option for young people. I’m sure it’s going to prove an extremely popular choice with lots of students.”

Before adding the new option for the Skills section, Award conducted a pilot, which found that “playing esports helps young people develop skills such as strategic thinking, communication, leadership and teamwork while also helping to develop self-esteem and build organisational and social skills.”

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a global framework for non-formal education and learning, which challenges young people to dream big, celebrate their achievements and make a difference in their communities. Founded by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, it operates in more than 130 countries and territories, helping to inspire millions of young people to take control and make their own choices.