Award Levels

Image of Gold, Silver and Bronze Gaisce Awards stacked one behind the other.

Award Levels Explained

There are three levels to the Award programme, starting with Bronze and progressing to Silver or Gold,
with the time and investment required increasing as the participant moves from Bronze towards the Gold Award.

While you can begin straight away with the Gold Award (depending on your age),
most participants begin with the Bronze Award and work up from there to the higher levels.

The more time and energy you give, the greater the reward!

BRONZE AWARD

SILVER AWARD

GOLD AWARD

Bronze

Age

14+ (participants aged 13 undertaking a Gaisce Award with their peers can register)

Time Requirements

With exception to the Adventure Journey, each challenge area requires a minimum participation of 1 hour per week for 13 weeks. The Adventure Journey takes place over a minimum of 2 days and 1 night.

Additional Weeks

An additional 13 weeks must be completed in one challenge area of your choice. This could be an activity you really enjoyed, or an activity in which you feel you still have room for improvement. As a result, it will take at least 26 weeks to complete your Bronze Award, however everyone is free to complete the award at their own pace.

The application fee for the Bronze Award is €15

Silver

Age

15+ (participants aged 15 undertaking a Gaisce Award with their peers can register)

Time Requirements

With exception to the Adventure Journey, each challenge area requires a minimum participation of 1 hour per week for 26 weeks. The Adventure Journey takes place over a minimum of 3 days and 2 nights.

Bronze Awardees

If you have completed a Bronze Award, you just need to fulfil the requirements above, and so your Silver Award will take at least 26 weeks to complete.

Participants without a Bronze Award

If you haven’t completed a Bronze Award, an additional 26 weeks must be completed in one challenge area of your choice. This could be an activity you really enjoyed, or an activity in which you feel you still have room for improvement. As a result, it will take at least 52 weeks to complete your Silver Award, however everyone is free to complete the award at their own pace.

The application fee for the Silver Award is €20.

Gold

Age

17+ (participants aged 16 who have completed both a Bronze and Silver Award can register for Gold)

Time Requirements

With exception to the Adventure Journey, each challenge area requires a minimum participation of 1 hour per week for 52 weeks.

The Adventure Journey takes place over a minimum of 4 days and 3 nights. The Residential Project takes place over a minimum of 5 days and 4 nights – see below for details.

Silver Awardees

If you have completed a Silver Award, you just need to fulfil the requirements above, and so your Gold Award will take at least 52 weeks to complete.

Participants without a Silver Award

If you haven’t completed a Silver Award, an additional 26 weeks must completed in one challenge area of your choice. This could be an activity you really enjoyed, or an activity in which you feel you still have room for improvement. As a result, it will take at least 78 weeks to complete your Gold Award, however everyone is free to complete the award at their own pace.

The application fee for the Gold Award is €25.

Gold Portfolio Frequently Asked Questions

When do I need to send my portfolio by?

Portfolio submission date is strictly 1st October each year.

What is a Gold portfolio?

The Portfolio is a record of your Gold Award experience, exhibiting evidence of your Award activities.

What do I need to include in my portfolio?

A link to portfolio guidelines is available here: Gaisce Portfolio Example.

Are there any information sessions that I can attend as a participant or a PAL?

Yes, attending our Going for Gold sessions are mandatory for participants and PALs. Keep an eye on our website and social media for announcements. We will also hold Gold portfolio sessions throughout the year to help participants gain an insight into what is needed for the portfolio.

2022 Gold Progression sessions will take place on:

January 26th (6pm-7.15pm) – Going For Gold. Register here.

April 27^th (6pm-7:17pm) – Going for Gold. Register here.

June 8^th (7pm – 8pm) – Portfolio Workshop. Register here.

August 31st (7pm-8pm) – Portfolio Workshop. Register here.

November 2^nd (6pm- 7:15pm) – Going for Gold. Register here.

Is a digital copy of Gold portfolio acceptable and if so, do I need to send a hard copy in the post?

A Gold portfolio can be either a digital version (word, pdf, google doc etc) to gold@gaisce.ie or a hand designed version (eg. Scrap or project book). Either way only one version is required to be submitted.

Where do I send my Gold portfolio once my PAL has reviewed it?

To ensure that your portfolio is received you must send to Gold@Gaisce.ie or if hard copy, send to Gold Portfolio, Gaisce – The President’s Award, Ratra House, North Road, Phoenix Park, D08 YD62. Please note as the deadline is 1st October, you will need to provide evidence of the postal date.

Do I need to get my gold portfolio approved online by my PAL – does my PAL need to see my portfolio?

Yes, your PAL needs to review your portfolio before they can approve your award online.

I am supporting a Gold participant– how do I approve my participants' portfolio if I have not seen it?

As we now live in a digital age, please reach out to your participant to see how best to achieve this. Please confirm with each other who will be sending the portfolio into Gaisce.

How do I know my portfolio has reached Gaisce on or before 1st October (annual submission date)?

Gaisce will acknowledge receipt of your portfolio with you, by email. If you have not received this email, please contact gold@gaisce.ie.

What if my portfolio is sent after 1st October, will it be accepted for Gold awards in that year?

The deadline for portfolios is communicated to you, the awardee and your PAL. If there is a delay, please ensure you communicate this to your PAL, who will then inform Gaisce via gold@gaisce.ie. Additionally, you can register your postal version with An Post. This will provide evidence that the postal version was sent in advance of 1st October.

What if my Gold portfolio exceeds the annual deadline of 1st October?

Gaisce will acknowledge receipt of the Gold portfolio in the first instance, however based on amount it has exceeded the deadline, it may be eligible for the following year. This will be communicated to you.

Am I immediately eligible for a Gold award when I post or email my gold portfolio?

Unfortunately not. Once we have confirmed receipt of portfolio, our Development Officers will review your portfolio. They may communicate with you directly for additional items.

When is the gold ceremony?

Gold award ceremonies Usually take place in early December. Eligibility to attend is dependent on outcome of portfolio review carried out by our Development Officers. Final confirmation of eligibility for the Gold award, will be communicated to you by our Communications Team.

What other requirement do I need?

Once Gaisce has received a copy of your portfolio, log into the GO system and from the home page, choose ‘awards’, then choose ‘name – gold’ and you will be brought to the gold awardee completion form.

You will be required to submit a gold completion form, which is a summary of your journey. Once you register for your Gold Award you will be given access to our GO system, which will enable you to enter diary entries, submit a query, submit a Gold completion form and attend events.