The Scout movement has introduced new Explorer Scout badges focusing on content creation, digital communication, and online safety, following consultations with nearly 3,000 teenagers who expressed a need for skills to navigate a world shaped by AI, social media, and digital technology.
First Major Overhaul in 25 Years
The new badges are part of the Scout movement's first major overhaul in almost 25 years. They 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.
Andrew Thorp, a Scout leader involved in developing the programme, said the changes reflect what young people themselves 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.”
Badge Details: Content Creation, Communication, and Safety
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. A personal safety badge requires young people to design resources to help others manage online risks.
The movement's approach reflects the changing realities of young people's lives, Thorp 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.”
Adapting to Potential Social Media Bans
The organisation said guidance for the badges would be updated if necessary when the government introduces restrictions on social media use by younger teenagers. Thorp noted that 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. However, he suggested the debate risks 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.”
Teenagers Welcome the Changes
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.”
Ethan Watkins, 14, from Staffordshire, said the new badges would help fill a gap in what young people are 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. 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.”
Responsible Use of Technology
Thorp emphasised that Scouting’s role is 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.”
