Second annual Merit Badge Day Brings Together Instructors and Scouts for Intensive Learning Experience
Everglades University’s Sarasota Campus hosted the Southwest Florida Council Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Day Event for the second year on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018. This event held on the campus at 6001 Lake Osprey Drive in Lakewood Ranch Florida allows Boy Scouts to connect with professionals in the community and gain valuable life experience that would normally not be available to them. Everglades Sarasota provided facilities, including classrooms and outdoor educational tools, such as the EU Solar Energy Learning Lab.
Merit Badge Day provides more than 100 Boy Scouts with learning opportunities to earn 15 Merit Badges including Environmental Science, Law, Geocaching, Personal Management, Plumbing, and many others. Visitors including elected official Jim Boyd, Florida House of Representatives District 71; Sheriff Rick Wells, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office; the Honorable Gilbert Smith, Jr., Judge 12th Judicial Circuit; and the Honorable Brian Iten, Judge 12th Judicial Circuit assisted with the education experience for the Law Merit Badge. Faculty and students from Everglades University Sarasota presented to the Environmental Science Merit Badge class on Solar Energy and the university’s new AquaGrove Aquaponics unit. Scouts also enjoyed hands-on learning experiences including feeding the fish in the AquaGrove.
About the Southwest Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America
The Southwest Florida Council, BSA, was chartered by the Boy Scouts of America in 1929 and serves youth in Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Sarasota, Desoto, Hendry, and Manatee counties. The Council accomplishes its mission by making its program available to chartered organizations; existing organizations that have compatible goals. These groups include religious, educational, civic fraternal, business, labor, and governmental bodies. The Council supports chartered organizations by providing materials and certain facilities, such as camps. The Chartered Organizations organize the Cub Scout Packs, Troops, Venture Crews, and Sea Scout Ships. The council has an executive board of volunteers and a staff of professionals.