Training for Venturers starts right here in the Crew.  The first step for most Venturers is being elected to a Crew Leadership position and then going through our Crew Leadership Training.  The course, taught by your own Advisor, is a prerequisite for many courses that you can then take at the Council and National level. Below is the information for some of these courses.

Venturing Crew Officers Orientation

This training module is geared primarily to Venturing youth that are elected into positions as officers within their Venturing crew, but it can also be used by adult leaders to learn the duties of the officers in the crew. This course is very useful for youth officers to fully understand their roles and responsibilities as it relates to Crew Officers Briefings and Seminars. This course will help the youth develop an annual plan of activities for the crew, as well as acquiring leadership and team-building skills. Estimated time to complete: 45 minutes.
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Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC)

The purpose of the Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews course is to teach crew members with leadership positions about their new roles and how to most effectively reach success in that role. It is intended to help Venturers in leadership positions within their crew understand their responsibilities and to equip them with organizational and leadership skills to fulfill those responsibilities. Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews is the first course in the series of leadership training offered to Venturers and is a replacement for the Venturing Leadership Skills Course. Completion of Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews is a prerequisite for Venturers to participate in the more advanced leadership courses National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) and the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE). It is also required for Kodiak.

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Goal-Setting and Time Management
This course is a requirement for the Venturing Discovery Award; however, it can be taken, at any time, by Venturers whether they are working on the award or not. Finding a successful time management strategy depends on a person’s personality, ability to self-motivate and level of self-discipline. This course introduces established methods for improving a Venturer’s ability to effectively manage the events in his or her life in relation to time.


Kodiak Challenge

The Kodiak Challenge is designed to be an adventure that pushes the boundaries of every participant - one that will encourage you to try new things that may be out of your comfort zone. It is an experience—but one that has its underpinnings in the application of the leadership skills they learned in the Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops or Crews, NYLT, and/or NAYLE. It is, as is all of Scouting, an adventure with a purpose.


National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT)

Also known as Big Horn, the National Youth Leadership Training conference is a leadership course delivered by the Denver Area Council to help develop Scouts into leaders. This is a week long training course and is usually conducted at Camp Tahosa. Want to know more? Check this link and talk to the Crew Advisor.

National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE)

NAYLE builds on the skills Scouts learn at NYLT.  The course is taught at one of the three high-adventure bases (Philmont, Sea Base, Northern-Tier) and is held over the course of a week long trek at the base. Want to know more?  The Sea Base and Northern-Tier NAYLE courses are new this year so there's not a lot of info about them so you'll want to check out this YouTube Video about the Philmont NAYLE course, this information flyer about the Philmont course, and of course, talk to your Scoutmaster.

Powder Horn

Powder Horn is a course for older Scouts and adult leaders to help them develop the skills necessary to safely conduct an outdoor/high-adventure activity.  The course is usually two weekends long and you must be able to attend both sessions.  Here's a promotional video with some more information.  Contact your Scoutmaster if interested.

Scouts can also take some supplemental training via the BSA's MyScouting website.  Here you'll find courses on Physical Wellness, Safety Afloat, and Hazardous Weather. Visit the myscouting.org  website for more information.