Some time back, Julie Gentry wrote about using scouting to fulfill homeschool requirements. She described what she called scout school and how easy it was to integrate it into homeschool academics. As scouts get older, and parents and kids get more serious about crossing all of the t’s and dotting all of the i’s, some homeschoolers may be tempted to put the homeschool badges aside in exchange for a real education. In my estimation this is a bad idea.
Not only can scouting be used to motivate young students to learn social studies, science, and health, but it can also be a fun way to fill up the homeschool portfolio for entry into colleges. For a homeschool scout who has collected a pile of badges, they will be surprised to find that the badges can be documented to be equivalent to required high school credits.
Whether your child is a lone scout or belongs to a troop, there are a couple of guides you can use to determine what required work has been covered through scout activities. The Scout School website has a chart that clearly shows you how to apply badges your student has earned to their high school program. Once you have figured out what credit your child has already accumulated, you can go to the merit badge worksheets website to get started on more badges that will help fill up any holes in the students education.
Another reason that a homeschooler should continue in the scouts program is because reaching the Eagle Scout goal has many advantages. Eagle scout has the highest rank in scouting and includes training in leadership, service, outdoor skills, business, and more. Besides the personal character strenghtening advantages, having an Eagle Scout ranking on a college portfolio will tell the college that you are a person of strong substance. In addition for college bound Eagle Scouts, the possibility of receiving an Eagle Scout scholarship that makes all of the work well worth it.
Homeschooling and Scouting: Our Story
Homeschooling and Scouting: An Unfair Advantage?
Homeschooling and Scouting: Using Scouting to Fulfill Academic Requirements
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