Scouting America Embraces the Digital Age.
Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts, adds new merit badges that bring modern tech into the fold: Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity. The organization, which counts over one million scouts, opens its long-standing badge program to include a more digital generation. In this realm, digital merit badges emerge as an avenue for teaching contemporary skills.
The goal, according to Scouting America CEO Roger Krone, is simple: keep scouting relevant. “We’re building badges around topics that interest youth today,” he says. The new badges teach young members to understand the power of AI systems and protect themselves against online threats.
What’s Happening & Why This Matters
AI and Cybersecurity Become Core Scouting Skills
Scouting America integrates AI into its learning framework through a badge that encourages scouts to examine how artificial intelligence affects everyday life. Scouts explore the role of deepfakes, learn about algorithmic influence, and complete a creative project. Their projects either utilize AI or explain the concept to their peers. The projects often culminate in the awarding of innovative digital merit badges.
Krone says the additions mirror a broader technical embrace across the organization. “Adopting AI is part of the technology evolution we all live in. To stay relevant, we embrace artificial intelligence and every element of tech that helps us do what we do better.”
Earlier this year, the group introduced Scoutly, an AI-powered chatbot designed to answer questions about badges and scouting activities. The chatbot demonstrates the organization’s push toward using modern tools to improve engagement and accessibility.
Preparing Scouts for a Digital Future
The Cybersecurity badge arrives with guidance from Air Force officer Michael Dunn, who helped shape its curriculum. Dunn explains that the badge teaches digital defense and ethical behavior online. “It gives scouts the tools to stay safe and secure themselves and their families against threats.” Effectively, digital merit badges serve as gateways to understanding and implementing these safety measures.
He adds that the program also introduces scouts to a field hungry for skilled professionals. “There are thousands of open cybersecurity jobs waiting for people with the right training,” he notes.
Scouts such as brothers Charles (13) and Wydell Hendricks (15) are already earning the badges. Charles calls the cybersecurity badge “more fun than work” and says it has sparked his interest in a future tech career. Wydell plans to join the Air Force and focus on cybersecurity. “This badge teaches ethics, and that’s important for every scout,” he says.
A Badge System That Evolves with the Times
The scouting badge program dates back more than a century, covering everything from fishing to fingerprinting. The addition of AI and cybersecurity shows Scouting America’s intent to keep pace with a fast-changing world where data literacy and digital ethics matter as much as traditional skills. In today’s context, digital merit badges note the organization’s adaptability.
By incorporating character education with technology, Scouting America places itself among organizations that train the next generation to think critically about artificial intelligence, digital citizenship, and online safety.
TF Summary: What’s Next
Expect Scouting America’s digital curriculum to expand rapidly. As AI and cybersecurity dominate modern life, the organization’s approach turns young learners into early adopters who see technology as both a tool and a responsibility.
MY FORECAST: The new merit badges connect traditional scouting values—discipline, integrity, and curiosity—with real-world tech skills. This evolution ensures the next generation grows into digital citizens who understand the power and responsibility behind the algorithms shaping daily life.
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