The Award is supporting children and young people impacted by the war in Ukraine

The impact of the invasion of Ukraine on children and young people has been extraordinary. According to the UN, more than 5 million people have already been displaced, with 3 million fleeing the country, primarily to neighbouring countries. More than 1.5 million of these refugees are children and young people: displaced, lost and vulnerable. They face a future that is deeply uncertain and numerous challenges not of their making.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is working with national organisations and partners across the region to support with the relief and recovery efforts. While other agencies lead on the humanitarian response – and in many areas Award participants and volunteers are already actively involved in supporting these efforts – the Award’s focus is on the medium to long-term disruption and dislocation to families and individual lives. To mitigate the myriad of challenges and to identify solutions to support and nurture new communities, build and sustain resilience and provide safe spaces for children and young people to come together.

The Award has a strong presence and unique infrastructure in Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In collaboration with our National Award Operators (NAOs), we are working to implement a special programme that leverages the Award’s framework for non-formal education and learning as a tool for community integration and provision of vital and structured educational support. We know from experience around the world that the Award’s focus on developing community service, peacebuilding, social action, improved physical and mental health and resilience is crucial for all young people and particularly refugee communities.

The Award has a track record of success of working with international partners to respond to crises. A current example is the Global Youth Mobilization, a unique collaboration powered by the Award and other members of the ‘Big Six’ – the world’s largest youth organisations – and supported by the World Health Organization and United Nations Foundation. The initiative is designed to support young people to overcome the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and build back better. You can read our recently published impact report here and watch a short video here [add links]

We are exploring how this proposal can be supported by partners to ensure it is as impactful as possible and that we have the right expertise and advice to scale it. If you are interested in supporting or partnering with the Award to support this new project or learn more about our work, please contact [email protected]

For more information about the efforts in Romania, Slovakia and Czech Republic please visit:

Romania: @dofeRomania on Facebook or www.dofe.ro/en/home-2/

Slovakia: @dofesk on Instagram or www.dofe.sk/en/

Czech Republic: @dofeCzech on Facebook or www.dofe.cz