Did you know…that sustaining and growing Exploring youth and young adult membership has a positive impact on Scouting’s overall youth and young adult membership numbers from the National to the individual councils’ perspective? That’s right! Because Exploring is an affiliate program of the Boy Scouts of America, Scouting and Exploring have separate membership applications and fees; therefore, youth who are both Exploring and Scouting members are counted for each program (i.e., these members count twice).

Exploring’s real value, however, is as a unique career exploration program for young people ages 10–20, providing them the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of career fields and meet other youth with similar interests and aspirations. Explorers gain real, hands-on experience to determine whether a particular career field is right for them, as well as opportunities to network with professionals working in those fields. In short, Exploring is a first step in identifying career possibilities while having fun in an exciting and informal environment.

With that preamble, the Exploring program offers an excellent opportunity to retain our Scouting youth who are experiencing burnout or aging up from Scouts BSA, which usually occurs during their high school years. Rather than lose these youth to non-Scouting interests and activities, commissioners and Scouters can offer these youth an excellent, alternate, BSA-endorsed program. Exploring’s careers-based programs can re-energize these youth to remain within the Scouting movement through high school and to their 21^st birthday as they explore various fields and investigate potential careers. If you know of a career they may be interested in, reach out to an Exploring post that fits their aspirations. Encouraging this youth to dual register with that post may just rekindle their Scouting or Venturing interest, especially if they are close to Eagle! The goal is not to “rob” a unit’s youth leaders but to keep their interest going.

As Explorers age up from the program at 21, commissioners and post advisors should encourage them to remain with the program as potential associate post advisors, committee members, or early career program mentors. Remember, we need these younger adult leaders because they often relate well to the post’s youth members and possess a first-hand understanding of members’ needs and relevant interests. This means that commissioners supporting Exploring units need to develop and maintain close relationships with all the posts they serve, watching for future Exploring young adult leaders and talking with them about their opportunities and “next chapters” in their Scouting and Exploring adult careers.

Through their contacts, commissioners can also be attuned to unique program opportunities for older Exploring youth and young adults. This includes assisting with district camporees, staffing council Venturing and Sea Scouting events, attending or staffing a National Scout Jamboree, and serving on the International Service Team of a World Scout Jamboree. All of these afford Explorers the chance to engage more broadly with other older youth and be ambassadors for the Exploring program.

Finally, how can commissioners help retain adult volunteers at the unit, district, or council level? If these volunteers are used to more traditional Scouting roles, commissioners can offer them new opportunities to participate with an existing Exploring unit or build/rebuild the district/council Exploring committees and service teams. This may dovetail with their current jobs or career development and help to keep their interest. Solicit their help and community connections in looking for opportunities to start new posts and clubs, which they may be interested in serving. Taking on a completely new and interesting challenge can often rekindle an adult volunteer’s flagging enthusiasm.

Exploring offers great value to the Scouting movement that extends well beyond the numbers.