Early impressions of Scouting America’s new Safeguarding Youth training

YPT is now SYT: Safeguarding Youth training.

Scouting America’s most important training has been updated with an entirely new look and feel, including a greater emphasis on the organization’s SAFE initiative, updated information on technology and the threat to youth online, and the use of real volunteers in real Scouting environments.

The training previously known as Youth Protection is now called Safeguarding Youth and is available immediately on my.Scouting.

“Scouting is extremely safe when we follow our protocols as designed,” says Scouting America Chief Safeguarding Officer Glen Pounder, who unveiled the new training at the 2025 National Annual Meeting earlier this month. “The aim is to empower all of our great Scouting families to enjoy the magic of Scouting in a safe way. By following those barriers, they’ll have a much better Scouting experience.”

While YPT focused mostly on preventing abuse, SYT includes information on SAFE: supervision, assessment, fitness and skill, and equipment and environment.

“We want to prevent serious harm and injury to our Scouts, as well as to prevent abuse,” Pounder says.

The Safeguarding Youth training is required for all current Scouting America registered volunteers and is a joining requirement for new adult members.

I took the new SYT shortly after I returned from NAM.

Here are the biggest takeaways.

There’s an emphasis on the supervision aspect of SAFE

Of the four points of SAFE, supervision is the most important, and that’s reflected in the new training.

“When Scouts go and lead, they need adult supervision,” Pounder says.

The training definitely feels new and fresh

“The goal of my conversation with you today is to alert you to some of the challenges that we have in Scouting,” says forensic pediatrician Sharon Cooper near the beginning of the training module.

“Conversation” is a good word, as the training includes Scouting volunteers who are also experts in the field of keeping kids safe.

“We” is another key word. You definitely get the impression that these folks have been there and done that when it comes to volunteering to be a Scout leader.

It’s all about taking preemptive actions

“Let’s talk about being proactive so we can prevent abuse from occurring in the first place,” says Michael Bourke, the chair of Scouting America’s Youth Protection Committee and one of the world’s experts on child abuse prevention.

How long does the training take?

The new Safeguarding Youth training is 90 minutes. It does not have to be completed in one sitting; you can pause and come back as needed.

Does the Cub Scouting exception remain in place?

Yes! There are no changes to the existing exception on Cub Scouting, including parents or guardians sharing accommodations with their children regardless of gender.

Cub Scout parents or legal guardians taking part in an overnight Cub Scout program with their own child or legal ward are not required to register as leaders. All adults must review the How to Protect your Children from Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide that can be found in the front of each Cub Scout Handbook.

The parent or legal guardian must be accompanied by a registered leader at any time they are with youth members other than their own child or ward. All other overnight adults must be registered in an adult fee required position.

What if my YPT is still current?

Scouting America volunteers with current YPT are not required to take the new training immediately. They simply must take it before their current training expires.

However, Pounder says he hopes that most volunteers will choose to take the new training right away.

“There’s nothing technically wrong with YPT,” he says. “If you just completed YPT, you’re still going to get a full year of credit. However, I hope you’ll want to dive into it sooner than that, because there’s a lot of new training in there.”

Do I have to take SYT every year?

Yes, but …

Pounder says the aim is to have a 15-minute “refresher course” available within the year that volunteers can take to keep their training current.

In other words, you won’t have to take the entire 90-minute training every year. Instead, you’ll take a shorter class that includes a test of your knowledge at the end.

“It’s about having that information,” Pounder says, “without losing the magic of Scouting.”

Click here for more information on the Safeguarding Youth training.