Summit is the highest Venturing rank. It recognizes Venturers who mentor others, lead adventures and service, and live by a personal code of conduct. Earning it shows you're ready to lead in Scouting and beyond.
Why it's worth it
Summit is the highest Venturing rank, and it goes to someone others can follow. You'll mentor another Venturer through planning their own activity, take on a Tier III adventure, write your own code of conduct, and lead a service project for an organization outside Scouting from idea to finish. Summit Venturers leave their crew stronger than they found it and carry that leadership into college, work, and their communities.
Start this week
- Sign up for Scouting America's mentoring training, since you need it before you start mentoring.
- Start a list of organizations you care about that might need a service project, like a school, food bank, animal shelter, or park.
- Ask your Advisor which upcoming crew adventure could be your Tier III trip.
- Write a first draft of three or four values you'd put in a personal code of conduct.
Plan ahead: Finish mentoring training before you start mentoring in requirement 3. If requirement 4 includes 6 months as an officer, start that term early, and get your service project approved before any work begins.
Stay safe
- Your service project plan should cover safety: the right tools and protective gear, adult supervision for power tools, and a first-aid kit on site.
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 three or more additional Tier II or III adventures (seven in all) at any level; across them, you must have done at least one Tier III and served as leader on one
Tip: Plan to include a Tier III adventure and lead at least one. Work with experienced leaders and follow safety guidelines.
- Requirement 2
Complete Scouting America mentoring training before you begin mentoring anyone
Tip: Complete the mentoring training before you start mentoring. It gives you tools to coach others well.
- Requirement 3
After Pathfinder, mentor a Venturer who plans and runs a crew, council, territory, or national activity (one of your requirement 1 adventures): help them get ready to lead, gather resources, plan for contingencies, build an itinerary, train participants, and manage risk before and during it; take part and give feedback afterward
Tip: Help another Venturer plan and lead an activity. Offer support and honest, kind feedback afterward.
For example: Mentoring might be meeting a newer Venturer a few times while they plan a crew climbing weekend that is one of your requirement 1 adventures: help them set a budget, timeline, and backup plan, let them run the planning meeting and train the group, join the activity, then give honest feedback with one strength, one growth area, and one next step.
- Requirement 4
Officer service, training, or teaching ILSC. Choose 2 of 3
Tips for this section: Pick two leadership experiences that will stretch you, like serving as an officer, taking a new course, or leading ILSC.
Example for this section: Two options could be serving 6 months as crew president and leading an Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews course for your crew's newest members.
- Requirement 4a
After Pathfinder, be a crew officer (president, VP, secretary, treasurer, quartermaster, historian, guide, or den chief; district-to-national Venturing offices also count) for 6+ months total. Roles add up, but two at once don't shorten the time, and gaps are fine. Set goals with your president (or Advisor, if you are president) at the start, and go over wins and struggles with them once mid-term
- Requirement 4b
Take part in or staff a leadership course such as NYLT, NAYLE, Order of the Arrow NLS, Sea Scout SEAL, or Wood Badge (age 18+), or an Advisor-approved non-Scouting course like NOLS; it must differ from the course used for Pathfinder 4b or Summit 4c
- Requirement 4c
Lead an Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews course for your crew, another local crew, or a district or council event; then talk with your Advisor about how it built your crew's skills and what organizing it taught you
- Requirement 5
After Pathfinder, plan, develop, and lead others in a service project for a religious institution, school, or community (not Scouting America); first get the proposal approved by the group being helped, your Advisor, and a Venturer named by crew leaders
Tip: Choose a project that helps a non-Scouting organization, like a school, park, or food bank. Get approval first and plan carefully.
For example: Strong projects meet a real need: raised garden beds for a community garden, a supply drive and sorting system for a shelter, a restored trail section with a park, or a reading nook at a school. Plan it, recruit and lead helpers, and track hours and costs.
- Requirement 6
After Pathfinder, do a structured personal reflection on two realms (faith, self, or others; one realm twice is allowed), and use it to prepare for goal setting and your Advisor conference
Tip: Reflect on two realms. Journaling or talking with a mentor can help you dig deeper.
- Requirement 7
Write your own personal code of conduct shaped by what you explored about faith, self, and others
Tip: Write a short code of conduct that reflects your values. Keep it honest and personal.
For example: A code of conduct can be short and specific: "I tell the truth even when it costs me. I include people who are left out. I finish what I commit to, or I say early that I can't." Tie each line to something from your faith, self, or others reflections.
- Requirement 8
After Pathfinder, lead your crew members through an ethical controversy and conflict resolution scenario
Tip: Pick a scenario that sparks real discussion, and guide your crew to listen, share, and find common ground.
For example: Set up a scenario like this: a member saw someone break a crew safety rule on a trip but promised not to tell. Assign viewpoints, guide the discussion so everyone is heard, and lead the crew toward a resolution people can stand behind.
- Requirement 9
Hold an Advisor conference: share your code of conduct and explain how your faith, self, and others explorations and your goal setting shaped it (sharing a faith reflection is optional)
Tip: Share your code of conduct with your Advisor and talk about how you'll live it.
- Requirement 10
Pass a crew board of review after your Advisor conference
Tip: Share your journey and what you're proud of. The board wants to hear your story and plans.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
An organization you might serve with your project
Meeting staff and seeing the place shows you what they really need and helps you size a project you can lead.
How: Have your Advisor or a parent join the first call or visit. Ask what they need most, who approves projects, who covers materials, and what rules or permits apply.
Ask yourself
- What did mentoring someone else teach you about your own leadership?
- Which line in your code of conduct is hardest for you to live by?
- How did the organization you served change your view of your community?
- What will you take from Venturing into college, work, or whatever comes next?
- Who will lead the crew after you, and how are you helping them get ready?
Good questions to ask your crew Advisor at your conference
- How have you seen my leadership change since I joined the crew?
- Which part of my code of conduct do you think will be hardest to live by?
- How can I keep serving the crew or Scouting after Summit?
- What should I do next to keep growing as a leader?
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
- Support Summit candidates as mentors and give them real leadership responsibility.
- Help Venturers connect with non-Scouting organizations for meaningful service projects.
People & places that can help
- Crew Advisor — Guides your Summit journey and project approvals.
- Local nonprofits and community groups — Potential partners for your service project.
- Scouting America (opens in a new tab) — Venturing program and mentoring training.
- Summit Award (opens in a new tab) — Scouting America's official Summit requirements and resources.
- Training for Youth (opens in a new tab) — Youth leadership courses, including mentoring and crew leadership training.
- AmeriCorps (opens in a new tab) — Find community organizations and service opportunities near you.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.