Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®” The Scouting organization is composed of more than 1 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and more than 628,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories.

Since its inception in 1910, more than 130 million young men and women have participated in Scouting. More than 35 million adult volunteers have helped carry out the our mission.

Scouting programs are divided by age and activity: Cubs is for boys and girls in kindergarten through 5th grade, Scouts BSA is open to young men and young women in grades 6 through 12, and co-ed Venturing and Sea Scouting are available for young men and young women age 14 through 20. We also offer career-oriented co-ed Exploring programs to youth age 10 through 20 through our Learning for Life curriculum.

Traditional Scouting programs are operated by local chartering organizations, such as religious institutions, clubs, civic associations, and educational organizations, which implement the Scouting program for youth within their communities. These units are led entirely by volunteers appointed by the chartering organization, who are supported by local councils using both volunteers and paid professional staff.