Discovery is about jumping into Venturing: going on adventures, building leadership skills, serving others, and reflecting on who you are. It's where you start shaping your own path and growing in ways that matter to you.
Why it's worth it
Discovery is where you stop just joining crew trips and start shaping them. You'll get trained in CPR and first aid, learn how crew officers lead, and take on bigger adventures that need real planning. You'll give 24 hours of service and set a personal goal you actually care about. The result is a Venturer who can keep people safe, run a meeting, and knows what they're working toward.
Start this week
- Look up CPR and first aid courses near you and ask whether your crew wants to take one together.
- Start a service log today with the date, hours, what you did, and whether it was a crew activity.
- Ask your Advisor when the next Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews and officer orientation are scheduled.
- Choose the realm you want to explore first, faith, self, or others, and write a few sentences about why.
Plan ahead: Requirement 6's 24 service hours and requirement 8's personal goal take the longest. Start your service log and choose your goal early, and fit the trainings and adventures in while those build.
Stay safe
- Higher-risk adventures follow the Guide to Safe Scouting and need trained, qualified leaders. Your CPR and first aid training helps, but it doesn't replace them.
Requirements · 10
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
- Requirement 1
Take part in two or more Tier II or III adventures run by your crew, district, council, territory, or national Scouting
Tip: Work with your crew to plan adventures that interest you, like backpacking, rock climbing, or a service trip. Do higher-risk activities with trained leaders.
For example: Ask your Advisor which upcoming trips count as Tier II or Tier III, then pick two you'd be excited to help plan, like a weekend backpacking trip or a multi-day paddle, not just attend.
- Requirement 2
CPR and first aid
- Requirement 2a
Pass a standard CPR course, such as the American Heart Association's Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED, the Red Cross course for schools and the community, or an equal one
Tip: Look for a CPR class through the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or a local hospital. Many offer weekend sessions.
- Requirement 2b
Pass a standard first aid course, such as Red Cross Standard First Aid, or an equal course
Tip: Take a standard first aid course from a recognized provider. Consider doing it with your crew so you can practice together.
- Requirement 3
Complete Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC) or an equivalent course
Tip: Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews is often run by your crew or council. Ask your Advisor when the next session is.
- Requirement 4
Complete the Goal Setting and Time Management training
Tip: Take the training, then try one or two new habits, like a weekly planner or setting deadlines for crew tasks.
For example: After the training, try one system for a month: a weekly planner with crew tasks, school deadlines, and practice times, plus one specific goal with a date, like "Finish my CPR course by the end of March."
- Requirement 5
Complete Venturing Crew Officer Orientation
Tip: Attend the officer orientation even if you're not an officer yet. It explains how the crew is run and how you can help.
For example: Officer orientation shows how a crew runs: who leads meetings, who plans the calendar, and how decisions get made. Go even if you aren't an officer, and come away with one role you might run for.
- Requirement 6
Give at least 24 hours of service; no more than half may be done on your own, and the rest must be crew service activities
Tip: Keep a log of your service hours and what you did. Mix crew projects with other service that matters to you.
For example: A mix might be 12 hours of crew projects, like a trail workday and a holiday food drive, plus 12 of your own, like tutoring in a library program or helping at your place of worship or a community center.
- Requirement 7
Do a structured personal reflection on one realm (Adventures of Faith, Self, or Others), and use what you learn to prepare for goal setting and your Advisor conference
Tip: Choose faith, self, or others and set aside quiet time to reflect. Journaling or talking with a mentor can help.
For example: A structured reflection could be journaling once a week for a month, reading a book on your realm and discussing it with your Advisor, or talking it through with a family member. For self, you might explore a fear or habit; for others, a relationship or community.
- Requirement 8
With your Advisor's input, set at least one personal goal rooted in the realm you explored in requirement 7, and reach it
Tip: Set a goal that's specific and achievable. Check in with your Advisor regularly to track progress.
For example: Tie the goal to your realm: for self, "Run a 5K by June" or "Practice guitar 20 minutes a day for 8 weeks"; for others, "Call a relative I don't see often every Sunday." Check in with your Advisor along the way.
- Requirement 9
After earning the Venturing rank, hold a conference with your Advisor about what was hard and what you learned in requirements 7 and 8 (you never have to share a faith reflection with your Advisor or the board)
Tip: Come ready to share what you learned from your reflection and goal, and what you want to do next.
- Requirement 10
Pass a crew board of review after your Advisor conference
Tip: Share what you've learned and enjoyed. The board is made up of crew members who want to hear your story.
Ask yourself
- Which adventure pushed you hardest, and what did you learn about yourself?
- What realm did you explore, and what surprised you about it?
- How did working toward your goal change the way you set goals now?
- Which part of crew leadership could you see yourself taking on next?
- How has your service changed the way you see your community?
Good questions to ask your crew Advisor at your conference
- How have you seen me grow since I earned the Venturing rank?
- What role in the crew do you think would fit me next?
- Which adventure should I help plan as I work toward Pathfinder?
- What kind of goal would stretch me without overwhelming me?
Helpful reads
- Venturing: plan your own adventures, How a Venturing crew works, the four ranks from Venturing to Summit, what officers do, how to plan an adventure, and the national high-adventure bases., Youth · Leaders · 5 min read
- Finding service that matters, Service hours count toward your rank, but the best ones are the ones you'd want to do anyway. Here's how to find them, arrange them, and get the most out of them., Youth · Families · 5 min read
For leaders & parents
- Help crews schedule CPR and first aid courses together so members can complete them as a group.
- Encourage officers to lead trainings and help newer members plan adventures.
People & places that can help
- American Red Cross (opens in a new tab) — CPR and first aid courses.
- American Heart Association (opens in a new tab) — CPR courses and resources.
- Crew Advisor and officers — Help with trainings, goals, and board of review.
- Discovery Rank (opens in a new tab) — Scouting America's official Discovery requirements and resources.
- Training for Youth (opens in a new tab) — Scouting America's leadership and skills courses for youth, including crew trainings.
- AmeriCorps (opens in a new tab) — Find volunteer opportunities in your community for your service hours.
Pairs well with
Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.