Challenge Areas
Scouting offers a varied and diverse program for our youth members. Through active engagement in the program youth members develop in our educational objectives (SPICES) outlined in our Purpose. We brainstorm and categories the activities in our programs with Challenge Areas.
The Challenge Areas are four broad activity areas that are used to support programming and ensure a balanced program. Youth members with the support of their Sectional adults make sure the program has a balance of Challenge Area activities across a program cycle, or series of program cycles. Activities that don’t fall within any of the Challenge Areas may not be appropriate to include in the program, or may only be appropriate occasionally.
Challenge Areas support the generation of ideas that young people want to do, providing a connection to the Scouting program, and enabling a greater scope of experiences to complement, rather than be dictated by, the SPICES. For instance, thinking of “community activities” rather than thinking of “activities that develop you spiritually” encourages a broader array of opportunities. This also acknowledges that different individuals will develop in different ways from the same activity. Challenge Areas, in conjunction with Plan>Do>Review>, will enable each youth member to consider their growth as a result of their personal experiences and reflect on how they have developed. There is more provision for broader flexibility and scope of individual development in a communal activity or experience.
The Milestone activities are based on these four Challenge Areas.
The Challenge Areas are four broad activity areas that are used to support programming and ensure a balanced program. Youth members with the support of their Sectional adults make sure the program has a balance of Challenge Area activities across a program cycle, or series of program cycles. Activities that don’t fall within any of the Challenge Areas may not be appropriate to include in the program, or may only be appropriate occasionally.
Challenge Areas support the generation of ideas that young people want to do, providing a connection to the Scouting program, and enabling a greater scope of experiences to complement, rather than be dictated by, the SPICES. For instance, thinking of “community activities” rather than thinking of “activities that develop you spiritually” encourages a broader array of opportunities. This also acknowledges that different individuals will develop in different ways from the same activity. Challenge Areas, in conjunction with Plan>Do>Review>, will enable each youth member to consider their growth as a result of their personal experiences and reflect on how they have developed. There is more provision for broader flexibility and scope of individual development in a communal activity or experience.
The Milestone activities are based on these four Challenge Areas.