What do I want to be when I grow up?

By: Posted On: 2020-06-01

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Have you ever thought of what it might be like to be part of a medical trauma unit working in an emergency room? What about being an automation engineer at a cereal factory? What about getting to see firsthand what it's like to be a fireman who is going to respond to a blazing fire somewhere in your city? We thought it would be useful to you to provide a list of potential field trips that you could take your Scouts on. One of the Scout themes for a month is “When I Grow Up.” You could use this information when the Scouts are studying that theme. These field events could offer behind-the-scenes looks at a multitude of careers. Each trip can spark an interest or open a young person’s eyes to the truth that a specific job probably isn’t going to work for them.

 

 

  • You could take some Scouters to a construction site to give them some exposure to the building trades that may cause them to want to learn more. Perhaps you could arrange for a building code inspector to come along and lend his perspective on construction that was in various stages of progress.

 

  • Younger Scouts are often very interested in police, fire, EMT, and other types of rescue jobs. Perhaps you could go and visit them at their station to give a presentation and enjoy a guided tour.

 

  • Do you know a chef or have any friends who work in a restaurant? See if they’ll allow a cooking show or do a cooking class for your Scouts. Most chefs will be thrilled to explain their arts to potential customers of the restaurant.

 

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  • Tour a local junior college or university to get guided tours of educational institutions. This will also inspire Scouts to focus on their future goals and dreams.

 

  • Call local CEOs or even parents of Scouts that work in a business and invite them to a speaking panel. Have Scouts prepare questions for the panel and put up a microphone where Scouts can talk and ask questions.

 

  • Talk to a local auto repair shop and see if they’ll do a presentation on what auto mechanics do, as well as what to do to keep a car in tip-top shape.

 

  • Go to see a local animal shelter and donate a little time while the Scouts learn. Also, you might be able to speak to their veterinarian and see if they can put on a presentation about what they do in their job.

 

  • Visit our elderly. Prepare a program, write your little books, and make paper flowers that you can bring to the wise older folks in elderly homes. Talk to some of the caregivers and find out more about the jobs they do to care for our elderly.

 

  • There are likely farms out in the country that might allow you to visit. Maybe the farmer would explain about how he does his job, what skills it takes to grow things, or raise animals.

 

  • Flowers are all around us. Teach Scouts to appreciate these colorful blooms with a trip to a local flower shop. Perhaps the florist could share his art with you about how to arrange flowers and grow plants or the different types of flowers that grow best in your area.

 

  • Is your Scouting group near your state capital? They may have guided visits. Make an appointment to meet a representative or senator. Government representatives like to talk with their young constituents about the value of what they do in government.

 

  • Learn about the papermaking process from trees to tissue paper if there is a paper or tissue making plant in the area around you. Some factories still offer tours of their operation.

 

  •  Go to a nearby National Guard or military installation. Find out about what their daily tasks are, what equipment they use, and what training they receive.

 

  • Make an appointment to go to the local TV station… A trip to the TV Station should fit nicely with a badge study on the weather, most assuredly if you can talk with the weatherman and learn more about his or her job.

 

We hope that one or more of these ideas might be helpful to you as you work through a career merit badge or unit. If you have any suggestions to add about places that you have been on a field trip with your Scouts, please share it with us below in the comment section.

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