'More Relevant Than Making Fires': Explorer Scouts Launch Badges for AI and the Digital Age

Explorer Scouts in the United Kingdom are introducing new badges to help teenagers learn about artificial intelligence, social media, and online safety. The Scout movement talked with almost 3,000 young people before making these changes. Teens said they wanted skills that would help them in a world that is shaped more and more by digital technology. The new badges are part of the biggest update to the Explorer Scout programme in nearly 25 years.

The new badges cover three main areas: content creation, digital communication, and personal safety online. To earn the content creation badge, young people must learn how online communities can influence change, create content that helps their communities in a positive way, and build digital storytelling projects. The communication badge includes lessons on digital footprints — the trail of information people leave behind when they use the internet — and how social media affects people's lives. The personal safety badge asks teens to design resources that can help others deal with risks they might face online.

Andrew Thorp is a Scout leader who helped develop the new programme. He said the changes came directly from what young people asked for. 'The programme for Explorer Scouts has not been overhauled for nearly a quarter of a century,' he said. He pointed out that when Scouts first started, life was very different, and the skills taught back then matched what young people needed at that time. Now, he said, digital and AI skills are just as important for today's world.

Thorp also said the goal of the badges is not just to teach teens how to use technology, but how to use it responsibly. He compared it to one of Scouting's oldest lessons. '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,' he said. He added that the focus is on understanding and creating content, not simply posting it online.

Some teenagers in the programme are already excited about the new badges. Elie Mondah, 17, from Romford, said she likes that the badges cover the positive side of AI, which she said is not talked about much in school. 'These new badges are more relevant than the traditional ones for camping and making fires, because it's key to modern life,' she said. Ethan Watkins, 14, from Staffordshire, agreed, saying that school is not teaching students enough about AI. '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,' he said.

The new badges come at a time when governments, schools, and parents are debating how much teenagers should use smartphones and social media. Some leaders have suggested banning social media for anyone under the age of 16. The Scout organisation said it would update its badge guidance if the government introduces new rules on social media for younger teens. If a ban does come into effect, young people aged 14 to 16 would be reminded not to share content they create on social media platforms. Thorp said the bigger point is still about building skills for the future, no matter what rules are put in place.