Click here for the official guidelines from the Boy Scouts of America for the Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge.
This badge aligns perfectly with our Learn & Grow Educational Series. By building a self-watering container garden for a group of individuals who would benefit from it, such as seniors in a day program, or a local community garden that is open to members of the public to join, you and/or your troop can work towards this badge.
When you discuss with your Merit Badge Counselor what citizenship in the community means, consider the basic human need for food in order to survive and what it means for those members of the community who do not have access to healthy, fresh foods. Consider what you would do if you were a member of the community who did not have access to healthy, fresh foods. Research the meaning of the term “Food Desert” and discuss what it means for a whole community or neighborhood when everyone in it has limited access to healthy, fresh foods. Explain how your container garden can demonstrate good citizenship in your community.
In choosing an issue that is important to citizens in your community, you can focus on citizen concerns about food quality, food safety, nutrition, and health. Research local newspapers and online information regarding local demographics. Find out what the highest causes of health-related deaths are in your county and state. What information can you find about the nutritional quality of the food being served to students in your local schools? What information can you find about the quality of the health education instruction in your local schools?
The badge requires you to watch a video that shows how the actions of individuals can have a positive effect on the community. We suggest New York Community Gardens: Reversing Urban Decay by The Eco Tipping Points Project.
The badge requires you to contact a charitable organization and volunteer with it for 8 hours. KPS4Parents is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and will gladly provide 8 hours of volunteer opportunities to Scouts in collaboration with their parents and Scout leaders in support of this badge, whether through in-person or remote collaborations. We would also gladly give any information we can provide to assist you in your final public presentation for this badge.
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