Exploring Training Courses

This page lists the available training courses for Exploring Leaders, youth and adult. Each description includes who should teach the course, who should take the course, approximate length of time for each course, course objectives, and a basic course outline. I've also included the BSA literature numbers wherever possible.

Please note that I have left out what I feel are the absolute minimums to participate in Exploring Introduction to Leadership - Explorer Advisor Fast Start (found in the Council/District Exploring Operations Guide and accompanied by a video tape #AV-030) and Exploring Youth Protection Training(#46-008).

Course name: Post Officers Seminar

Instructor's Manual: Explorer Leader Handbook - #34637

Instructors: Post Advisor, Post President, Associate Advisors

Attendees: Newly elected Post Officers

Time: ~8 hours

Objectives:

To have the youth officers learn their position responsibilities
To build a working leadership team
To acquaint the officers with Exploring leadership skills and the contents of the Explorer Leader Handbook (BSA #34637)
To plan the post's program schedule for the coming year

Course Description:

Done annually, the Post Officers Seminar is primarily to build a working relationship between the youth officers and adult Advisors as a leadership team. The course is primarily based on material contained in the Explorer Leader Handbook, although planning calendars and the accompanying videotape (AV-030) are recommended. The course consists of 7 major sections: Welcome, Duties, Leadership, Activities, Sceduling, Meetings, Bylaws, and a Closing.

Course name: Post Leader Workshop

Instructors: Exploring Training Team

Instructor's Manual: Post Leadership Workshop #23-277

Attendees: Post Advisor, Post officers

Time: ~4 hours

Objectives:

To understand and use the 10 skills of leadership
To evaluate participant's present ability ineach skill
To develop a plan of action to improve skills and help other post leaders

Course Description:

The Post Leaderhip Workshop is primarily a method of evaluating your leadership team's skills and use of resources, as well as providing opportunities to roleplay possible conflict situations. Through the completion of the Leadership Skills Questionaire, each participant will evaluate their own knowledge and use of the 10 skills of leadership, as well as develop a plan of action to improve their performance. The Viewpoint game has each participant assume a role in a post problem scneario, and try to express their assigned viewpoint without expressly stating it. Group reflection follows to evaluate how well each participant got their viewpoint across.

Course name: Exploring Advanced Leadership Development Workshop

Instructors: Exploring Training Team

Instructor's Manual: Exploring Advanced Leadership Development Workshop #AV-03V006

Attendees: Post Advisor and Post officers by invitation

Time: ~3 hours

Objectives:

To help Exploring Leaders apply Ethics in Action concepts to Post Operation
To improve the Post program planning/implementation process
To help Advisors and officers build better relationships

Course Description: This course is designed for experienced Advisors and Officers. It consists of four single-concept training modules. It is primarily led by a video tape presentation with intervention by Training Team members. It is a fun course to take and will help build a better bond among the Post Leadershiup Team. 

Course name: Adult Exploring Basic Leader Training

Instructors: Exploring Training Team

Instructor's Manual: Exploring Basic Leader Training #34632

Attendees: All adults registered in the Exploring Program

Time: ~6 hours

Objectives:

Convey an understanding of how Exploring achieves the purposes of the BSA
Teach the best methods of program planning and use of resources
Explain the characteristics of Explorer-age youth
Familiarize leaders with National, Council, and Division organization and resources

Course Description: This course is designed to introduce adult Exploring leader to the basic information needed to operate an Explorer Post. It is run in four seperate sessions and includes such topics as Council/Post organization, adolescent developmental issues, the methods of Exploring, the six experience areas, program planning, and the Post Capability Inventory. This course should be considered a minimum for all Exploring Leaders and should probably be retaken every three to four years to keep up on changes in the program. A self-study guide (#23-314) ia also available.

This page maintained by Jim Miller, Jr. and is not an official BSA publication.