Youth Program Review

Scouts Australia are reflecting on how it can offer the fundamentals of Scouting in an adventurous, fun, challenging and inclusive program in the contemporary context. The Youth Program Review (YPR) began taking a holistic view of the Scouts Australia Youth Program in 2013 for the first time in 40 years. Australian society and the needs of youth have dramatically changed in that time.
Since 2013, teams of members including youth members, leaders and parents have undertaken extensive research about what the needs of future Australian Scouts would be, and how we can deliver the same benefits. There have been four stages of the Review, with Stage 4 producing ‘A New Program Concept’. The concepts that Stage 4 developed have been discussed in a number of forums at Branch and National level. They haven’t been approved or implemented.

Presentations and workshops will be shared with the general Scouting community from September 2016, providing avenues for feedback. We hope that the feedback can be collated into a more finalised product in early to mid 2017. Your Branch will arrange its own strategy to promote and inform members about the presentations and workshops, so stay tuned for news of meetings or events where it will be presented.

Research indicates that a consistent journey through the Sections is important for the retention of youth. That’s why Scouts Australia will be seeking feedback on a developmentally appropriate personal progression framework, elements of the Scout Method and groundbreaking ways to further strengthen our youth-leading, adult-supported organisation. ‘A New Program Concept’ will also show readers a different perspective on programming for each section and how Plan > Do > Review > can be used for all future Scouting activities.

Scouts Australia will be open for feedback on these concepts, and the YPR team will be revising them later based on what is received.

Before the new program can be adopted, recommendations must be approved by the National Committees that your Branch’s Chief Commissioner is a member of. Resources, training and other information will be provided closer to implementation. It is expected the formal implementation stage is still a few years away.

Scouting has survived for over 100 years by adapting to the changes in our society. Scouts Australia is keen to make sure we remain relevant for today’s generation of young people and beyond, and we want all our members to take part in this process.