Learn how Venturers progress through the program

The Venturing program runs under the A-L-P-S model — helping Venturers grow in Adventure, Leadership, Personal development, and Service.

➢  Rank Advancement — Four ranks: Venturing, Discovery, Pathfinder, and Summit. Designed to work with crews of any specialization, each rank serves as a benchmark along a Venturer's journey.

➢  Specialty Awards — Not part of the core recognition program, but let Venturers explore specific areas more in depth (e.g., the Ranger, Quest, and TRUST Awards cover the outdoors, sports, and faith, respectively).

➢  Leader Recognition — The Venturing Leadership Award (VLA) and Unit Leader Award of Merit recognize adults who've shown exceptional dedication and service to the program.

Note: The Summit rank is the Venturing equivalent of Eagle Scout, and many colleges, councils, and civic/religious/military organizations offer scholarships to Summit-rank recipients.

Venturing crews have the flexibility to choose their own uniform — whether that's the official green shirts or crew-specific garments.

To be a good advocate for the program, it helps to know the correct terminology: the program is called Venturing, a unit is called a Venturing Crew, and a youth participant is called a Venturer.

Learn how Venturing stands out from Scouting America's other programs.

What is a Venturing Crew?

A Venturing Crew is the local unit youth join to participate in the program; members are called Venturers.

How do Venturers advance?

Venturers progress through four ranks — Venturing, Discovery, Pathfinder, and Summit — following the A-L-P-S model of adventure, leadership, personal development, and service.

Are there scholarships available?

Yes — dozens of universities, local councils, and religious, civic, and military organizations offer college scholarships to Venturers who earn the Summit rank. Some are needs-based; others are merit-based.

What does a Venturing crew wear?

Crews have the power to choose their own uniform — official green shirts or crew-specific garments.