The Edinburgh Award recognises more than 1,000 Edinburgh students each year for getting involved in activities outside of their degree programme, such as work experience and volunteering.
Colleagues from across the University who have been involved in running the programme reflect on the difference it’s making.
Developing future skills and gaining recognition
The Edinburgh Award, established in 2011, recognises students for getting involved in diverse activities from climate and sustainability leadership to charity fundraising.
This programme, managed by the Careers Service and run by staff from across the University, the Students’ Association, and the Sports Union, helps students to develop skills for the future and reflect on their experiences. Students can choose from various award versions, each led by dedicated award leaders.
In April, the University hosted a reception at the Playfair Library to celebrate the students who achieved the award this year.
A student who took part in the programme said:
“Probably the most important thing that I have learnt by doing the award is how important self-reflection is in all aspects of life, both professional and other.”
Lucy Evans, Deputy Secretary Students, said:
“We’re hugely proud of each one of the students achieving the Edinburgh Award this year. It’s inspiring to see the variety of activities our students take part in. This programme is an opportunity for our students to develop essential skills for their future and make a really positive contribution to benefit our community. Events like this are a great opportunity for our students to get together and take a moment to celebrate their fantastic achievements.”
Award Leaders’ reflections
Edinburgh College of Art: Student Community Engagement and Leadership Edinburgh Award
This year the Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) piloted a new version of the Edinburgh Award, ‘Community Builder/Leader’.
The aim was to provide students with official recognition for their work, and help build a sense of community in ECA.
Adam Humble and Sarah Taylor from the ECA Student Development Team said:
“We loved seeing students from across the College of Art get involved with our pilot this year. Helping our students reflect on their skills and abilities and seeing them gain confidence has been one of the biggest highlights for us.
“For the ECA Pilot Award, instead of submitting a written reflection, students had the option to prepare visual representations of their reflective process. Some of these submissions were displayed at the Edinburgh Award ceremony with the aim of inspiring others to use their creativity to engage with their Edinburgh Award.
“Following the successful pilot, in 2025/26 we will increase the cohort from one group of around 30, to three cohort groups. We are all very excited to see the positive impact that this will have on both student experience and student employability.”
Work Experience Edinburgh Award
Up to 100 students complete the Work Experience version of the Edinburgh Award each year. It’s a self-led course that’s entirely online, with a live session with a Careers Consultant at the beginning and end.
Lorna Savage, Internships and Work Experience Adviser at the Careers Service, said:
“The most rewarding part of this work is the community focus. The Work Experience Award is hosted as a course on Learn, which offers students the opportunity to discuss how their work experience is going and any successes or challenges they are encountering. It’s great to see students offering encouragement, support and advice to each other, as well as independently arranging calls in small groups to have a more in-depth reflection.
“Being an entirely online award, the software used to run it is incredibly important. The Learn Ultra platform is easy for all to use and I think that’s a huge part of why we are seeing students engage with each other more than before.”
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