Hundreds of Scouts from underserved communities will attend Alpha Merit Badge University (AMBU) at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, later this month, where they can complete some of the requirements for multiple merit badges.
Organized by members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the event connects Scouts with college students, professionals and fraternity members who serve as mentors and merit badge counselors.
AMBU aims to address inequities in access to Scouting resources, particularly for Black Scouts. AMBU Chair Derek Smith noted that Black Eagle Scouts are extremely rare — making up just 0.5% of all Eagle Scouts — and many youths have historically lacked access to clinics and advancement opportunities.
In addition to offering standard and Eagle-required merit badges, AMBU allows Scouts to complete partially finished badges and combine coursework for multiple badges. The event features educational classes, mentorship opportunities, fraternity performances and leadership-focused panels.
With growing interest across the country, AMBU is expanding nationally and internationally, with cities like Charlotte, Houston and Oakland planning future events.
Learn more about this event on the UPI website.
Scout’s invention helps local firefighters
Jacob Delveaux, a 16-year-old Eagle Scout from Greensboro, North Carolina, built two freestanding gear dryers for a local fire department as part of his Eagle Scout project.
The dryers, which cost about $1,000 to build, help dry firefighter gear quickly and safely. That’s something commercial dryers can’t do without damaging the equipment. Jacob’s design significantly reduces drying time from 12–24 hours to just 2 hours.
Fire officials praised the project for saving money and enhancing readiness. Jacob plans to share the design so the department can build more units for its 27 fire stations.
Learn more about this story on the FOX 8 website or in the video below.
Scouts bring relief to fire victims
Weeks after a devastating fire at a local apartment complex in Bellevue, Tennessee, Troop 624 stepped up to support affected families.
During their annual yard sale on September 13, the Scouts reserved the final two hours for fire victims to pick out items for free. Although weeks had passed since the fire, many families were still in need.
The Scouts hoped the event would offer comfort and help replace personal items lost in the fire, such as home décor and everyday essentials.
Read more about this website on the WKRN website.
Preserving nature, one birdhouse at a time
Cub Scouts from the Golden Gate Area Council’s Scoutreach program, along with Scouts BSA members from Troop 729 in Fairfield-Suisun, California, helped maintain more than 30 birdhouses along the trails at a local park.
Originally built more than a decade ago by Pack 100 to support western bluebirds, the birdhouses were repainted and renumbered last weekend to support ongoing ecological observation.
The Scoutreach program, chartered by the Charles Wood Family Foundation, provides afterschool Scouting opportunities to underserved elementary school communities in the area.
Read more about this story on the Daily Republic website.
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