The President's Award
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The President's Award (previously Gaisce) is an award earned by young people between the ages of 15 and 25 for participating in several activities for a certain period of time. There are three awards; bronze, silver and gold. Participants must be between 15 and 25 years of age.
The term "gaisce" is from the Irish language and can be translated as "valour". The award was established by a trust deed under the patronage of the President of Ireland on March 28th, 1985 - the award is part of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Association. The profile of the award was raised substantially during the term of President Mary Robinson.
Great emphasis is placed on earning the award, rather than winning it, as one of the primary aims of the scheme is to promote self-confidence among young people and to introduce them to new activities. To earn the award, participants must complete four sections:
- Personal Skill - e.g. ECDL or music lessons. Requires one hour per week for 26, 39 or 50 weeks (Bronze, Silver and Gold)
- Community Involvement - e.g. taking a life saving class. Requires one hour per week for 15, 30 or 60 weeks.
- Physical Recreation - e.g. football, swimming or any other sport. Requires one hour per week for 12, 15 or 18 weeks.
- Venture - e.g. go camping on an island with canoeing, cycling or hiking. Requires 2 days, 3 days or 4 days. Those who would be unable to accomplish this due to a physical disability perform a suitable replacement activity.
The award is presented at a regional ceremony by either a famous person (bronze/silver) or the President of Ireland (gold).
