With more than 130 merit badges—from Archery and Art to Welding and Wilderness Survival—Scouting is the ultimate form of learning by doing. Scouts BSA explore their interests and improve their skills while working toward Scouting’s highest rank: Eagle. By first imagining, planning then doing their own service projects, Scouts BSA learn the value of hard work, and experience the thrill of seeing it pay off. Add in outdoor adventures, hiking and camping, and Scouting gives youth all the experience they need to become adults.
This is the traditional Scouting America experience for young men and women in the fifth grade through high school. Service, community engagement, and leadership development become increasingly important parts of the program as youth lead their own activities and work their way toward earning Scouting’s highest rank, Eagle Scout. There are currently 855,000 Scouts BSA and 485,000 adult volunteers in the United States.
While there is guidance from experienced adults, Scouts BSA take their own lead, exploring places they’ve never been as they dive into the rugged world of outdoor adventure. With a spirit of teamwork, they pack up their Scout gear and their sense of adventure, and dive into the learning and excitement that comes from being in Scouting.
Scouts BSA has a lot to offer, but don’t let that scare you away. With the exposure to a uniquely hands-on learning experience through earning merit badges that reflect each youth’s budding interests, they unlock a world of discovery around them, and forge their path for the future. By culminating the Scouts BSA experience with earning the rank of Eagle, youth can prove their leadership skills and gain the confidence they needs to excel in life and in the world at large.