Boy Scouts of America

Supernova Awards for Scouts BSA

If you thrive on challenge, then earning the Supernova award will be right up your alley. To be eligible, you must be a First Class Scout or higher. As a prerequisite, you must first earn any three of the four Nova awards for Scouts BSA. With your parent’s and unit leader’s help, you must select a council-approved mentor who is a registered Scouter. You may NOT choose your parent or your unit leader (unless the mentor is working with more than one youth).

 
    1. Complete any three of the Scouts BSA Nova awards. (Note: These may be done at any time after becoming a Scouts BSA member.)
    2. Earn the Scholarship merit badge.
    3. Earn four of the Supernova approved merit badges from the above list. (Note: These may be earned at any time after becoming a member of Scouts BSA.)
    4. Complete TWO Supernova activity topics, one each in two different STEM areas.
A Supernova activity topic is a two-part, hands-on, high-level activity related to one of the STEM fields. Part 1 involves research, preparation, set up,coordination, and/or organization. Part 2 involves analysis and reflection, culminating in the creation of a report in any one of the available format options. See the “Supernova Activity Topics” chapter.
  1. Participate in a local, state, or national science fair or mathematics competition OR in any equally challenging STEM-oriented competition or workshop approved by your mentor. An example of this would be an X-Prize type competition.
  2. Do ONE of the following:
    1. With your parent’s permission and your mentor’s approval, spend at least one day “shadowing” a local scientist or engineer and report on your experience and what you learned about STEM careers to your mentor.
    2. Learn about a career that is heavily involved with STEM. Make a presentation to your mentor about what you learned.
  3. Working with your mentor, organize and present a Nova award or other STEM-related program to a Cub Scout den or pack meeting. Be sure to receive approval from the appropriate unit leader and agree on a time and place for the presentation. If a Cub Scout den or pack is not available, your presentation may be given to another youth group, such as your troop or at your place of worship.
  4. Review the scientific method (you may know this as the scientific process) and note how scientists establish hypotheses, theories, and laws. Compare how the establishment of “facts” or “rules” using the scientific method differs from the establishment of “facts” or “rules” in other environments, such as legal, cultural, religious, military, mathematical, or social environments. Then do the following:
    1. Choose a modern scientific subject with at least two competing theories on the subject and learn as much as possible about each theory.
    2. Analyze the competing theories, decide which one is most convincing to you, and explain why to your mentor.
    3. Make a presentation to your mentor that describes the controversy, the competing theories, and your conclusions about how the scientific method can or cannot contribute to the resolution of the controversy.
  5. Submit a Supernova award application to the district or council Nova or advancement committee for approval.
See the “Supernova Activity Topics” chapter for more information about activity topics.
  1.  Earn the Dr. Bernard Harris Supernova Award.
  2. Complete ONE additional Scouts BSA Nova award for a total of four. (Note: This may be done at any time after becoming a member of Scouts BSA.)
  3. Earn FOUR additional Supernova-approved merit badges from the list provided, other than the four earned while working on the Harris Supernova Award for a total of eight. (Note: These may be earned at any time after becoming a Scout.)
  4. Complete TWO additional Supernova activity topics, one each in the two STEM areas NOT completed for the Harris Supernova Award. (Note: The intent is that upon completion of the Edison Supernova Award the Scout will have completed one Supernova activity topic in each of the four STEM areas.)
  5. Participate in a local, state, or national science fair or mathematics competition OR any other equally challenging STEM-oriented competition or workshop approved by your mentor. An example of this would be an X-Prize type competition. (Note: The intent is that upon completion of the Edison Supernova Award, the Scout will have participated in two such events.)
  6. Working with your mentor, organize and present a Nova award or other STEM-related program to a Cub Scout den or pack meeting. Be sure to receive approval from the appropriate unit leader. If a Cub Scout den or pack is not available, your presentation may be given to another youth group, such as your troop or at your place of worship. (Note: The intent is that upon completion of the Edison Supernova Award the Scout will have completed two such presentations.)
  7. Research a scientific, technical, engineering, or mathematical breakthrough or invention of the past 100 years that has affected our society in a meaningful way and present your hypothesis on how it might further affect our society during your lifetime. Present either a 30-minute oral report or a 1,500-word written report to your mentor.
  8. Submit a Supernova award application to the district or council Nova or advancement committee for approval.

A Note to the Mentor

The Scouts BSA Supernova awards recognize superior achievement by a Scout in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). All experiments or projects should be conducted using the highest level of safety protocol and always under the supervision of a qualified, responsible adult. The Scout should always have a buddy when meeting with his counselor or mentor.

Following are the merit badges approved for use in earning the Scouts BSA Supernova awards:

Animal Science Environmental Science Plant Science
Archaeology Farm Mechanics Programming
Architecture Fish and Wildlife Management Pulp and Paper
Astronomy Forestry Radio
Automotive Maintenance Game Design Reptile and Amphibian Study
Aviation Gardening Robotics
Bird Study Geocaching Scuba Diving
Chemistry Geology Signs, Signals, and Codes
Composite Materials Insect Study Soil and Water Conservation
Dentistry Inventing Space Exploration
Digital Technology Mammal Study Surveying
Drafting Medicine Sustainability
Electricity Mining in Society Veterinary Medicine
Electronics Nature Weather
Energy Nuclear Science Welding
Engineering Oceanography  

 

 

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.