The Badge Archive

To help families in her local troops navigate online and at-home scouting, Ms. Tia began compiling a structured database. A website to gather every available resource into one organized collection.

From a Personal Collection to a Community Asset

What started as a list of links quickly evolved. Leaders and families began asking for clarifications, simplified badge activities, and uniform details, prompting Ms. Tia to expand beyond simple resource lists. She created pages for each badge, offering clear instructions and supplemental ideas where existing resources were sparse. As more leaders contributed their own plans, she outlined and published their suggestions, ensuring that practical, troop-tested activities were available to all.

But sometimes, badge resources weren’t a complete meeting, especially for creative fields like the art badges. Individual activity pages emerged to fill those gaps. Industry professionals in coding and cybersecurity shared advice with Ms. Tia that wasn’t available anywhere else, so Ms. Tia added those insights to the archive, giving leaders exclusive access to expert-backed guidance.

Building on feedback and time-saving needs, The Badge Archive is beginning to offer exclusive $2 printable meeting plans on Teachers Pay Teachers. They are designed with engaging twists like coding drills inspired by Grace Hopper. A Brownie/Junior Shark Tank-style entrepreneur challenge, and Junior Ninja-themed dual badge activities are in the works.

Rethinking VTK and Cybersecurity Education

As the archive expanded, Ms. Tia began cross-referencing VTK plans to avoid redundant content, only to find that some official plans lacked practicality. Some scripted activities didn’t work well in troop settings, and others were unnecessarily long for younger scouts.

Take GSUSA’s Cybersecurity badges, for example. The standard approach involves six troop meetings to cover all three badges. This is far more time than necessary. Ms. Tia realized that a single meeting per badge, structured with hands-on engagement, would achieve the same results while keeping scouts interested. By treating VTK suggestions as a springboard rather than a strict framework, she developed more engaging, streamlined plans that met all GSUSA requirements while avoiding burnout.

(And if she may offer her personal recommendation: Troops should space Cybersecurity Basics in Year One, Cybersecurity Safeguard in Year Two, and Cybersecurity Investigator as an optional badge, or Year Three for Cadettes. Doing all three back-to-back often leads to scout frustration rather than enthusiasm.)

The Growth of The Badge Archive

As The Badge Archive expanded beyond collecting resources, it became a full-fledged content hub, covering over 1,889 pages as of June of 2025, including ceremonies, songs, uniform guides, and leadership resources.

There are 482 GSUSA badge pages, our work spans every level of that organization:

• Daisy: 44 badges + 11 petals, 7 journeys, 5 awards, 15 retired pages.
• Brownies: 62 badges + 7 journeys, 5 awards, 7 retired.
• Juniors: 61 badges + 7 journeys, 7 awards, 7 retired.
• Cadettes: 54 badges + 7 journeys, 11 awards, 7 retired.
• Seniors: 51 badges + 7 journeys, 11 awards, 5 retired.
• Ambassadors: 38 badges + 7 journeys, 12 awards, 4 retired.

To manage the ever-growing workload, Ms. Tia welcomed guest contributors, refined workflows, and integrated AI assistance to improve formatting and organization. While AI helps brainstorm, summarize, and simplify content, every resource is human-reviewed and tested to ensure accuracy, clarity, and practical use.

Cub Scout Adventures: Expanding Beyond the Basics

Cub Scout Adventures have official activity instructions. We don’t aim to recreate those. Scouting America’s format work pretty well. But we analyze, enhance, and adapt them for flexibility sometimes.

Some adventure activities aren’t Cub Scout-exclusive. They work well across different scouting groups. One fun example? Giant Chalk Map. Originally designed for a Cub Scout Adventure, we adapted it and it’s a blast to do with any scout group!

The Time and Dedication Behind Every Page

What began as one leader’s effort to gather links has grown into an essential scouting tool, built through years of dedication, problem-solving, and collaboration.

Today, The Badge Archive is a trusted scouting resource, built on thousands of hours of volunteer work. What started as a single person searching for links has grown into a comprehensive guide for leaders everywhere. Because scouting is a community effort, and supporting leaders means strengthening the scouting experience for generations to come.

Maintaining this resource requires ongoing effort and funding. Support through our Teachers Pay Teachers store or PayPal donations helps us keep The Badge Archive free and thriving.

The Badge Archive remains dedicated to helping leaders succeed, ensuring scouting activities are organized, accessible, and engaging.

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For More Fun Ideas and Plans

for Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Scouts

This is a supportive Facebook community for Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Girl Scout leaders. Whether you’re seeking advice, fresh ideas, or meeting plans, you’re in the right place! Let’s inspire each other, share our experiences, and make every troop meeting a memorable adventure.

for Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Scouts

This is a supportive community for Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scout leaders. This group offers solutions to keep older scouts engaged in scouting amidst their busy lives. Share strategies, tackle challenges, and exchange ideas for fun, meaningful activities that resonate with teens and build lasting connections.

Find out how you can support The Badge Archive!

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• Return to the Daisy Badge List.
• Return to the Brownie Badge List.
• Return to the Junior Badge List.
• Return to the Cadette Badge List.
• Return to the Senior Badge List.
• Return to the Ambassador Badge List.

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