Shortly before the last school year came to a close, two Dwight students, Silver Award recipients in the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Program, were invited to meet the Duke during his visit to New York City. They met with His Royal Highness to speak about the skills, resilience, and community commitment they’ve built through the Award Program. Their stories highlighted the Award’s powerful impact in equipping students with the tools they need to thrive in today’s world.

The private roundtable was hosted by the British Representative to His Majesty’s Consul General to New York & HM Trade Commissioner for North America as well as UK Ambassador to the General Assembly Archie Young. Led by The Duke of Edinburgh, students had the incredible honor of watching leaders from around the world meet, discuss the program, and highlight the impact of non-formal education. Hugo Newman ’26, who attended the event and is currently part of the program, was overwhelmed and excited by the roundtable. “It was really impressive,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d get the chance to do something like that!” Hugo particularly enjoyed meeting students, teachers, and UN counselors, and hearing the Duke of Edinburgh discuss how the program has become an instrumental part of students’ education all over the world. 

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Program is internationally recognized and creates opportunities to volunteer time in service, develop new skills, build resilience, and experience adventure. It connects students to a global network and is valued by universities and employers worldwide for fostering leadership, responsibility, and initiative. It was first offered at Dwight in 2020, with just seven students participating. Now, with 70 students enrolled in 2025, about 20 awards are given to Dwight Students annually. To earn a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, students must build new skills, improve their physical fitness, volunteer, and engage in an “Adventurous Journey.” Each section requires sustained effort over a set period of time, with the commitment increasing at each award level.

In the five years that Dwight has participated, there has been a high enrollment and strong completion rates. Students have been highlighted in the program’s newsletters, conferences, and special events. Our outdoor WILD program is one of the many reasons why there is much success in the program, as one of the Adventurous Journey requirement is very easily passed through participation in WILD. 

WILD Program Director Shauna Fitzmahan, who also runs the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Program at Dwight, is excited about the future. “This is shaping up to be a milestone year,” she says. “The program continues to grow. For the first time, we’ll be celebrating not just Bronze and Silver Award recipients, but also our very first Gold Award achievers. Earning Gold represents an amazing two-year commitment and highlights the incredible growth of our students.”

More about the Duke of Edinburgh Award Program can be found here.

If you’re a Dwight student interested in enrolling in the program, you can email Ms. Fitzmahan. Please note that students must be at least 14 years old to join the program.