Youth Venturing Courses Descriptions VSP 199A Bachelor in Venturing Leadership (for YOUTH) (7 Sessions) - All Day Facilitated by officers and members of the Council Venturing Officers’ Association, the Bachelor’s in Venturing Leadership is the first formal opportunity for youth to participate in the University of Scouting program. Participants spend the whole day together in their own unique sequence of classes emphasizing skills to help them be better Venturing Crew officers, members, and leaders, and completing advancement training requirements. Highlights from the curriculum are: How to plan a program at the crew and district levels, including how to choose a program, identifying and implementing a theme, selecting a location and managing logistics, basic budgeting, and promotion. Practical exercises with guided feedback are a key component of these segments. The Venturing Officer’s Association, including opportunities for involvement at the district, council, area, regional, and national levels. Leadership Opportunities Outside the Crew. VSP 399A Combined the groups with VSP199A Master in Venturing Leadership (for YOUTH) (7 Sessions) For youth who have completed the Bachelor’s in Venturing Leadership the Master’s in Venturing Leadership offers advanced curriculum to enable them to support their Crews’ programs. The focus is on preparation for the Pathfinder and Summit awards. Topics covered include Crew administration, advanced training, personal development, and advanced program planning. This course is facilitated by officers and members of the Council Venturing Officers’ Association. Venturing youth age 18 or older may also take this track without having completed the youth bachelor’s track, but they will only qualify for a bachelor’s degree. Adult Course Descriptions—Venturing Bachelor’s (100) Level Note: Any (7) course credit hours are the Bachelor level in Venturing Program, any (7) additional course credit hours constitute the Master level in Venturing Program. VSP 101A/CED 220 Here’s Venturing Introduction to the mission of Venturing, its aims & methods, and unique place in the Boy Scouts of America. Youth-led aspects of the program are emphasized, including District and Council Venturing Officers’ Associations. This course is valuable for all Scouters who wish to learn more about the Venturing program. VSP 102A Venturing Leadership and Organization (2 sessions) Detailed overview of Venturing’s organizational structure and the roles of youth and adult leadership positions. The focus is on Crew-level organization, including the role of the Chartered Organization and how to select and retain adult leaders. VSP 106 Venturing Youth Leadership Development Provides a basic understanding of the characteristics of Venturing-age youth. Explains the components of an effective Youth Leadership Development Program and the critical role of the Crew Advisor in youth leadership development. Describes youth leadership training programs (including Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews) and opportunities at the unit, council, regional, and national levels. VSP 107A Crew Program Planning (2 sessions) The essential knowledge for adults serving as mentors for youth during the annual program planning process, Crew Advisors, or mentors to youth activity chairs. Topics covered include Advisor responsibilities, recognition in the Venturing program (with an emphasis on the new awards program), and how to plan the Crew’s annual program. VSP 110 Venturing Leaders’ Panel A directed Q&A with youth and adult Venturing leaders in the Council. Youth members of the Venturing Officers’ Association and experienced Venturing Advisors will share helpful tips and best practices. Questions from the audience are welcome and discussion is encouraged. Adults who are new to Venturing, or who are interested in learning more about the Venturing program, are encouraged to attend. Adult Course Descriptions—Venturing Master’s (300) Level VSP 316 Conducting Leadership Skills for Crews Conducted at the Crew level, Leadership Skills for Crews (LSC) is the first step in the training continuum for Venturing youth leaders. Ideally, the course is run annually for the Crew by senior youth who have previously taken the course, although in Crews with less experience it is often run by the adult Advisors. This class will educate Venturing leaders on how to implement the syllabus and establish youth-led training as an integral part of the Crew’s annual program. This course will be taught in conjunction with part of the Venturing Youth Master’s Track. VSP 320A/CED 224A Social Media and Virtual Programming: Effective Use and Guidelines Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr…) are very popular among today’s youth and are a very powerful means of communication. Zoom, discord, and other virtual platforms have become vital for day to day life and crew meetings/programs. The purpose of this class is three-fold: to give crew advisors background on how to tap into social media as a resource for engaging with the youth in their crews, to inform them of how to do so in a responsible way, and give them a solid understanding of how to best use virtual programming. BSA policies regarding social media, online safety, and youth protection will be emphasized. VSP 324 Incorporating Advancement into Your Crew’s Program Most Crews don’t think about advancement as a regular pat of their program, but advancement is important to recognize achievement. An experiences Venturing Advisor will discuss ideas for how to incorporate advancement into your Crew’s regular program. VSP 325 Navigating the Summit Award Process This session focuses on requirements for the Summit Award in general, and the Summit Project in particular. Crew Advisors and adult mentors for Summit Award candidates will gain the background knowledge to be able to guide youth through the process of achieving Venturing’s highest distinction. Emphasis will be placed on selecting and executing the Summit Award Project. VSP 326 Service Opportunities in Venturing Service is an important component of all Scouting programs and an excellent opportunity for youth to develop their leadership skills. Regular service opportunities are especially important now that a large-scale service project is required for the Summit Award. This session will focus on service opportunities that are available for Venturers of all abilities and how integrate service as part of your Crew’s regular program. VSP 327A Mentoring in Venturing The Venturing program has its own challenges when it comes to advising and mentoring youth. Working with teenagers in a co-ed environment can be difficult, yet rewarding. As adult leaders it can be hard to navigate when to step in and when to step back. In this session you will learn effective techniques for how to mentor the youth in your crew. This page updated 02/01/2021 |