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National Internet Safety Month is observed each June to raise awareness about online risks and promote responsible digital citizenship among youth, parents, and communities. Scouting America is proud to support this important effort through its partnership with Know2Protect, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s national public awareness campaign focused on preventing and combating online child exploitation and abuse.

A mother was saved by her son after she began choking during a family dinner. Years later, she was there to watch him achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. Scouting alum Andrew Yakubesan reflects on how skills learned through Scouting prepared him for that moment, when he could respond quickly and provide assistance when it mattered most.

An all-girl Scouts BSA troop in Livermore, California, is helping showcase how Scouting has expanded opportunities for young women since girls were officially welcomed into the program in 2019. Troop 2942, which meets at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, is one of the few stand-alone female troops in the region. Many longtime Scouting alumni are still unaware that girls can now fully participate in Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA programs.

Joshua Myers of Troop 69 in Germany, part of the Transatlantic Council of Scouting America, recently wrapped up an Eagle Scout service project that will continue helping military families for years to come. Working with Operation Deploy Your Dress in Landstuhl, Joshua organized volunteers and led the move into a larger permanent space. The project included building changing rooms, moving hundreds of formal dresses and suits, and setting up a shop where military families can find free attire for proms, military balls, and special occasions.

Scouting is full of traditions, and one of the oldest unfolds every summer on Michigan’s Mackinac Island. The Mackinac Island Scout Service Program is now underway for the season on Mackinac Island, continuing a legacy that began in 1929 when future President Gerald Ford was part of the first troop. Often known as the Governor’s Honor Guard, selected Scouts from across Michigan take part in a highly competitive program.

I never earned the Oceanography Merit Badge. But I took an oceanography class in college, and that class—along with the professor who taught it—inspired me to major in geology. Later in life, I came to understand that the oceanography class had made a major difference in my life, and that a good merit badge counselor, like a good professor, can inspire young people and help them explore subjects that may ultimately change their lives. In early 2020, just before COVID, I was asked to serve as a merit badge counselor for my district’s merit badge college. The organizer explained that, in addition to the standard Eagle-required merit badges, they wanted to offer merit badges that Scouts do not often have the opportunity to earn. I agreed to teach the Oceanography Merit Badge.

Eagle Scout candidate Caleb Karnatsky, alongside Troop 65, digitized the records of 1,013 veterans buried at Rose Hill Memorial Park in Corpus Christi. Thanks to their work, families will now have an easier way to locate and honor loved ones who served our country. For Caleb, this project has a personal connection. His great-great-grandfather, a World War I veteran, is buried in the cemetery, which fueled his passion to ensure these stories and sacrifices are never forgotten.

On May 22, 2026, President Donald Trump announced that Welles Crowther, a Scouting alum known as “The Man in the Red Bandana,” would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Crowther was 24 years old and working on the 104th floor of the South Tower during the September 11 attacks when he repeatedly returned into smoke-filled stairwells to guide others to safety. Survivors later described a young man wearing a red bandana over his face who helped lead them down to safety.

Before becoming one of the NBA’s most respected team-first players, Hart was also working toward one of scouting’s highest honors: Eagle Scout. As basketball began to demand more of his attention, he seriously considered stepping away from scouting to focus fully on the game.

Eagle Scout Joe Tanner has been inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, continuing a remarkable journey shaped by leadership, service, and exploration. Scouting played a major role in the Tanner family legacy. Joe Tanner and his four brothers all earned the rank of Eagle Scout, while their father devoted many years as a dedicated Scouting volunteer. The values learned through Scouting are clearly reflected in Tanner’s extraordinary career and accomplishments.

One of the ways Scouts fulfill their promise “to help other people at all times” is through meaningful community service projects that bring people together and make a lasting impact. Once again this year, Scouts from Troop 1344 (Girls), sponsored by the Apple Valley Property Owners Association in Howard, joined with several Scouts from Troop 344 (Boys) to complete a major cleanup project at Faith Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

When Vincenzo DiLuna began planning his Eagle Scout service project, he knew he wanted to create something that would have a real impact on his community. That vision led him to Horsemanship 4 Heroes, a nonprofit in Reno, Nevada, dedicated to helping veterans navigate PTSD, anxiety, and depression through equine-assisted therapy and mentorship. After learning the organization needed an obstacle course to help veterans build confidence and trust while riding horses, Vincenzo found the perfect project.