What is STEM & Why should I care?
Greetings to everyone! We want to share information about the Boy Scouts of America’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (or STEM) program. First, a little background, the BSA’s STEM program was initiated in about 2010 with the recognition that STEM-based careers were taking off and that even traditional careers needed STEM education. This was the genesis of the Nova and Supernova Award programs for the BSA. While this might have been the start of the Nova and Supernova programs, STEM has actually been a part of Scouting since the beginning, with some of the original merit badges like Astronomy and Chemistry. So, let’s talk about the STEM program.
Essentially, the Nova Awards are a beginning exploration of the STEM topics. Each program, Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, and Venturing/Sea Scouts, has a set of Nova Awards that provides a series of age-appropriate activities that exposes a Scout to STEM. For Cub Scouts, there are eleven Nova Awards that examine everything from Geology and Ecology to Coding and Cryptography. For Scouts BSA, there are ten Nova awards that delve into topics such as the chemistry of water and fluid dynamics (through indoor skydiving). For Venturers and Sea Scouts, their nine Nova Awards up the ante by digging even deeper into ideas such as genetics and 3D-printing.
What are the Supernova Awards?
The Supernova medals are earned by the Scout rolling up their sleeves and learning even more about STEM topics. For the Cub Scout Supernova Award, the Dr. Luis W. Alvarez Bronze medal, the Scout learns more about Dr. Alvarez and his contributions to science and practices the scientific method through a science project. For Webelos, the Dr. Charles H. Townes Bronze medal asks the Scout to do even more, exploring the careers of Dr. Townes and five other famous STEM figures and participating in a Science Fair with their own project idea. For Scouts BSA, there are two medals—the Dr. Bernard Harris Bronze medal and the Thomas Alva Edison Silver Medal. For these medals, the Scout must complete several Nova Awards and undertake an in-depth exploration of the STEM areas through additional projects such as designing and testing high-performance paper gliders or modeling bungee jumping. For Venturers and Sea Scouts, there are three Supernova medals—the Dr. Sally Ride Bronze medal, the Wright Brothers Silver medal, and the Dr. Albert Einstein Gold medal. The Dr. Albert Einstein Gold medal pushes the Scout to develop a novel research project in a STEM topic of their choosing and to work with a mentor in that field of interest.
The Nova Awards and Supernova medals are about exploration and discovery all while having fun with Scouting. To learn more about the STEM program opportunities offered by the Golden Gate Area Council, check out our website—stem.ggacbsa.org. We are always looking for individuals that are as passionate about STEM to help us with events and activities tied to the Nova Awards and Supernova medals.