The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award is given out to the world's leading youth and gives Canadians between the ages of 14 and 24 a supportive, non-competitive platform to help them transition from teenager to adult.

Vanier Collegiate had 4 winners this year, with 2 winning Gold and 2 winning Silver. They were celebrated for their contributions in 4 different areas - Service, Physical Recreation, Skill Development, and Adventurous Journey.

Grade 12 students Jane Morris, Jenna Meili, and Sophia Grajczyk, along with Vanier graduate Isabella Grajczyk were the four recipients.

Jenna Meili spoke about the activities she was involved in:

"For my Physical Recreation I did volleyball, basketball, badminton and track and field. For my service I did 'Best Buddies,' which pairs me up with someone who has a disability at our school, and I also volunteered at Riverside Mission. For my Skill I did cooking, and for my Adventure Journey I went to Cypress Hills over the summer."

Jane Morris also told us how she participated:

"For the Adventure Journey, we went to Cypress Hills. Physical Recreation, I played soccer as well as other sports like curling and speed skating. As for my Skill, I joined the robotics club at school, and for my service I helped coach - so now I'm a certified coach!"

Sophia Grajczyk went over what she took part in to receive the award:

"For my Physical Recreation I did fastball and just went to the gym. For my Skill I did piano, so I got my Grade 8 RCM Piano Exam. For my service I joined SRC, and for my Adventurous Journey I went to Cypress Hills."

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award has been given to over 500,000 Canadians since 1959.