Learning is essential to improving one's position in life. We live in a society that rewards accomplishment. Today, and in the future, our youth will have to learn new skills and retrain themselves to succeed during their lifetimes. That’s why the Boy Scouts of America not only instills in youth the desire to learn throughout their lives, but provides them with the resources and skills to do so.

A generation ago, baby boomer youth were considered lucky if they were able to attend a college or university. Most workers spent their careers with only one or two companies. These constants are no longer true.

Today and in the future, youth will have to learn new skills and retrain themselves constantly to succeed. In fact, most youth entering college today will need to be retrained anywhere from seven to 10 times before retiring from the workforce. Our youth must engage in lifelong learning to succeed in life.

Here are some facts to consider:

• High school drop-out rates have steadily increased since 1990.
• Forty percent of fourth-graders are not at a basic reading level.

From its very foundations the BSA is about learning and exploring. The Boy Scouts of America advancement program, with more than 100 merit badges, recognizes youth for learning and obtaining new skills.

Merit badges like Aviation, Architecture, Computers, Cinematography, Geology, Law, Sculpture, and Space Exploration have inspired more than one youth to pursue his dreams as an adult. Others, like Archery, Canoeing, Fishing, Orienteering, Motor boating, Sports, and Whitewater Rafting, have fostered a love for adventure and respect for the great outdoors.

Boys can receive the official Boy Scout magazine, Boys’ Life, which is filled with stories of adventure, tales of heroism, and just plain fun stuff designed to encourage boys to read and investigate new subjects. Boys’ Life is a great first step in learning to love reading.

Scouts also learn from one another by example. We call this peer-to-peer learning.

As today’s youth become adults, they will not only need the desire to learn throughout their lifetimes, but they must also have the skills necessary to do so. Scouting teaches those skills to America’s youth in a fun and exciting way, and parents love the fact that their children are learning new skills and strong values in the process.