‘More relevant than making fires’: Explorer Scouts launch badges for AI and digital age
Scouts are introducing badges in content creation, digital communication and online safety after consulting nearly 3,000 teenagers who said they wanted skills to help them navigate a world increasingly shaped by AI, social media and digital technology.
The new Explorer Scout badges, part of the Scout movement’s first major overhaul in almost 25 years, will require 14- to 18-year olds to explore how digital communities shape opinion, create online campaigns, investigate digital footprints and design toolkits to help others stay safe online.
Ministers, schools and parents continue to debate whether children should face tighter restrictions on smartphone and social media use, including proposals for a ban on social media for under-16s.
Among the new badges is a content creation award, which asks young people to explore how digital communities can influence change, create content intended to positively influence their communities and develop digital storytelling projects.
A communication badge includes modules on digital footprints and the impact of social media and digital communication, while a personal safety badge requires young people to design resources to help others manage online risks.
Andrew Thorp, a Scout leader involved in developing the programme, said the changes reflected what young people themselves had asked for. “The programme for Explorer Scouts has not been overhauled for nearly a quarter of a century,” he said.
“What was really clear is that young people want to be able to get skills that will help them in their lives going forward, and they want to find a place to belong.”
The movement’s approach reflected the changing realities of young people’s lives, he said. “Next year, we’re 120 years old. When Scouts started there were different pressures, different motivations. Life was very different. It taught young people how to do things in a way that was relevant to their lives then.
“Now, clearly these kinds of skills are super relevant. With the development of AI, that will become more and more part of all of our lives.”
The organisation said guidance for the badges would be updated if necessary when the government introduced restrictions on social media use by younger teenagers. He said young people aged 14 to 16 would be reminded not to use social media to share material they created if such a ban came into force.
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But Thorp suggested the debate risked missing the point. “This is about giving people skills for the future,” he said. “We focus on creating and understanding content rather than simply publishing it online.”
For many teenagers involved in the programme, that distinction matters.
Elie Mondah, 17, from Romford, said: “These badges are great because we’re not learning about the positive side of AI at school; it’s all about the dangers.
“These new badges are more relevant than the traditional ones for camping and making fires, because it’s key to modern life,” she added.
Ethan Watkins, 14, from Staffordshire, said the new badges would help fill a gap in what young people were being taught elsewhere.
“It’s a really good idea to integrate all the new ideas around AI into the Explorer badges because school isn’t educating us about it,” he said.
“AI is going to be a massive part of my work and education, and so it’s really important for me to learn to use it effectively and safely.”
Thorp said Scouting’s role was to teach young people not just how to use new technologies but how to use them responsibly.
“It’s really important that young people know how to use this stuff safely,” he said. “It’s not just about learning how to do something, it’s about how to do things safely, how to keep them safe in those environments.
“In the same way that Scouts teach young people how to light a fire safely, it’s important that you take that same approach to things like content creation,” he said.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Scouts has introduced new badges targeting digital literacy and online safety for teenagers aged 14–18. The badges, part of a major programme refresh after 25 years, emerged from consultation with nearly 3,000 young people who identified a need for skills in content creation, digital communication, and managing their online presence. Three main badges cover content creation and community influence, digital footprint awareness, and personal online safety. Scout leaders frame these additions as updating the movement's relevance to contemporary life, similar to how traditional badges once addressed the concerns of earlier generations. The organisation indicated it would adapt guidance if government restrictions on under-16 social media use are implemented.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Scouts are introducing badges in content creation, digital communication and online safety after consulting nearly 3,000 teenagers who said they wanted skills to help them navigate a world increasingly shaped by AI, social media and digital technology.
The new Explorer Scout badges, part of the Scout movement’s first major overhaul in almost 25 years, will require 14- to 18-year olds to explore how digital communities shape opinion, create online campaigns, investigate digital footprints and design toolkits to help others stay safe online.
Ministers, schools and parents continue to debate whether children should face tighter restrictions on smartphone and social media use, including proposals for a ban on social media for under-16s.
Among the new badges is a content creation award, which asks young people to explore how digital communities can influence change, create content intended to positively influence their communities and develop digital storytelling projects.
A communication badge includes modules on digital footprints and the impact of social media and digital communication, while a personal safety badge requires young people to design resources to help others manage online risks.
Andrew Thorp, a Scout leader involved in developing the programme, said the changes reflected what young people themselves had asked for. “The programme for Explorer Scouts has not been overhauled for nearly a quarter of a century,” he said.
“What was really clear is that young people want to be able to get skills that will help them in their lives going forward, and they want to find a place to belong.”
The movement’s approach reflected the changing realities of young people’s lives, he said. “Next year, we’re 120 years old. When Scouts started there were different pressures, different motivations. Life was very different. It taught young people how to do things in a way that was relevant to their lives then.
“Now, clearly these kinds of skills are super relevant. With the development of AI, that will become more and more part of all of our lives.”
The organisation said guidance for the badges would be updated if necessary when the government introduced restrictions on social media use by younger teenagers. He said young people aged 14 to 16 would be reminded not to use social media to share material they created if such a ban came into force.
after newsletter promotion
But Thorp suggested the debate risked missing the point. “This is about giving people skills for the future,” he said. “We focus on creating and understanding content rather than simply publishing it online.”
For many teenagers involved in the programme, that distinction matters.
Elie Mondah, 17, from Romford, said: “These badges are great because we’re not learning about the positive side of AI at school; it’s all about the dangers.
“These new badges are more relevant than the traditional ones for camping and making fires, because it’s key to modern life,” she added.
Ethan Watkins, 14, from Staffordshire, said the new badges would help fill a gap in what young people were being taught elsewhere.
“It’s a really good idea to integrate all the new ideas around AI into the Explorer badges because school isn’t educating us about it,” he said.
“AI is going to be a massive part of my work and education, and so it’s really important for me to learn to use it effectively and safely.”
Thorp said Scouting’s role was to teach young people not just how to use new technologies but how to use them responsibly.
“It’s really important that young people know how to use this stuff safely,” he said. “It’s not just about learning how to do something, it’s about how to do things safely, how to keep them safe in those environments.
“In the same way that Scouts teach young people how to light a fire safely, it’s important that you take that same approach to things like content creation,” he said.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
Scouts are introducing badges in content creation, digital communication, and online safety for 14–18-year-olds. The badges were developed after consulting nearly 3,000 teenagers. The Explorer Scout badges are part of the Scout movement's first major overhaul in almost 25 years. The content creation badge requires young people to explore how digital communities influence opinion, create content to positively influence their communities, and develop digital storytelling projects. A communication badge covers digital footprints and the impact of social media and digital communication. A personal safety badge requires young people to design resources to help others manage online risks. Scout leader Andrew Thorp said the programme changes reflect what young people themselves asked for. The organisation said guidance would be updated if necessary when the government introduces restrictions on social media use by younger teenagers. These new badges are more relevant than traditional ones for camping and making fires because they address modern life. Scouting's role is to teach young people how to use new technologies responsibly, just as it teaches fire safety.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗
- Scouts are launching new badges in content creation, digital communication, and online safety for 14–18-year-olds, developed after consulting nearly 3,000 teenagers
- The badges represent the first major overhaul of the Explorer Scout programme in almost 25 years and reflect young people's requests for skills relevant to digital life
- Modules include exploring how digital communities shape opinion, creating content, managing digital footprints, and designing online safety resources
- Scout leaders position the changes as teaching responsible technology use alongside digital literacy, comparable to teaching fire safety in traditional Scouting