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Scouts BSA Develops New Tech Merit Badges

AI and Cybersecurity badges help Scouts learn digital skills

Scouting America and Scouts BSA is excited to launch two new merit badges that teach technology skills every young person needs. Two new merit badges highlighting artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, are now available to all Scouts nationwide!

Young people already use AI and face online risks every day. These new badges will help them understand how this technology works and how to stay safe online.

The badges will work with the recently released Scoutly AI Chatbot, giving Scouts real experience with AI tools. The new merit badges aim to help Scouts become smart, responsible users of technology.

What Scouts Will Learn

The AI Merit Badge teaches:

  • AI basics and history- including different types of AI and how people use it daily
  • Ethics and impact- exploring concepts of data privacy, unfair AI systems, and how AI affects jobs
  • Future career options- in AI and related fields

The Cybersecurity Merit Badge covers:

  • Finding cyber threats- like viruses, tricky emails, and weak spots in computer systems
  • Learning real security skills- like making strong passwords, using firewalls, and protecting data
  • Understanding online safety and smart digital behavior- risks of personal information, cyberbullying, and intellectual property
  • Exploring cybersecurity careers- from security experts to digital crime investigators

Hands-On Learning

Both badges focus on real-world practice, not just reading about technology. The AI badge gets Scouts thinking about how to use technology responsibly. The cybersecurity badge teaches actual security skills along with safe online habits.

These badges join over 138 other merit badges that help young people explore new interests and possible careers. They’re part of Scouts BSA’s work to prepare Scouts for success in our digital world. For more information about merit badges and updates, visit scouting.org/skills/merit-badges.

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Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.