With a renewed national identity, growing community partnerships and a steadfast commitment to the Scout Oath and Scout Law, Scouting America advanced its mission in 2025 and prepared young people for lives of character, leadership and service.
That message was delivered last week to our nation’s elected leaders in Washington, D.C., as part of Scouting America’s annual Report to the Nation. Scouts met with government officials and Scouting advocates to highlight the positive impact Scouting is having on our nation’s youth.
Scouting America reported that 907,950 participated in youth programs. Here are some highlights:
- 483,582 youth participated in Cub Scouting, building the foundations of character and citizenship through an age- and grade-appropriate program that emphasizes family, fun and friends.
- 350,571 were active in Scouts BSA, the program that develops advanced leadership skills and outdoor proficiency with an emphasis on the patrol method while focusing on fun, adventure and real-world leadership opportunities.
- 31,571 participated in Exploring, connecting with industry professionals and exploring future career pathways. Some exciting new additions to the Exploring curriculum, such as the use of drones, helped the program thrive.
- 30,547 were served through Learning for Life, which brings lessons of character, leadership and life skills to students through school- and community-based programs.
Scouting America leaders reminded lawmakers that these programs remain supported by tens of thousands of chartering organizations, plus other faith-based groups, civic associations, schools and community partners.
What is the Report to the Nation?
Section 8 of Scouting America’s 1916 congressional charter requires the organization to present an annual report to the U.S. Congress. So every year since 1917, Scouting America has reported its previous year’s activities and accomplishments, and the recap is entered into the Congressional Record.
“Our annual Report to the Nation provides an opportunity to share the incredible impact of Scouting and to reaffirm our commitment to providing valuable experiences that shape the leaders of tomorrow,” says Roger Krone, Scouting America’s president and CEO.
The merits of Scouting, earned not given
In 2025, Scouts earned a combined 1.3 million merit badges, exploring fields ranging from citizenship and first aid to robotics, aviation, environmental science and entrepreneurship. For the first time, Scouts were able to interact with a specially created AI assistant, Scoutly, to help them earn new offerings such as the Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence merit badges.
The path to leadership starts with service
Scouts contributed millions of service hours to their communities in 2025. In the Scouting for Food program, for example, Scouts again demonstrated what it means to lead through service by:
- conducting 3,813 food drives nationwide
- collecting more than 5.2 million pounds of food to support families in need
- contributing 488,729 service hours through these efforts
Eagle Scouts: Leaders for life
Last year, 27,718 Scouts earned the rank of Eagle Scout, bringing the total number of Eagle Scouts since 1912 to more than 2.8 million. In 2025, Scouting America honored 18 Eagle Scouts with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, recognizing individuals whose professional accomplishments and lifetime service exemplify the highest ideals of Scouting.
Scouting for the future
Scouting America remains focused on three core priorities: growing membership and expanding access to our life-changing experiences; delivering exceptional, safe programs; and continuing to develop leaders of character for our nation.
