Local Boy Scout Receives New Programming Merit Badge

Over the recent summer break two Forsyth County students can honestly say they worked on building their math and science skills, so much so they received national recognition for it.

Corey Philbrook and Patrick Clapp from Boy Scout Troop 245 in Cumming, braved the weather, the hike, and the crowds at the National Scout Jamboree to become two of the first 50 Boy Scouts in the world to receive the new Programming Merit Badge.

Rick Folea, AutomationDirect Senior Technical Marketer, was the team leader of the group that developed the merit badge for the Scouts. The team was made up of professionals from around the country and included representatives from MIT, Lockheed Martin, and Chrysler. Folea explained the decision to offer the badge.

"Programming is everywhere in our lives these days and since the Boy Scouts are all about preparing youth for life, the two were a perfect match," he said.

During the badge's launch at the Jamboree, Folea and his team saw more than 800 scouts … many of whom waited in the rain for a chance to earn the new badge. "There was a non-stop demand," said Folea. "We had scouts coming through representing 49 of the 50 states and 13 scouts from overseas."

First among them all was Corey Philbrook who made sure his picture was taken with the merit badge and the electronic sign showing he was the first scout served. His fellow scout, Patrick Clapp earned his badge just a short time later. "I still can't believe I'm the first scout in the world to receive this badge," said Philbrook. "I'm very interested in technology. When I heard that the Boy Scouts were offering this I jumped at the chance."

That kind of enthusiasm is exactly what Folea likes to hear. "That's one of the reasons why AutomationDirect supports these activities. We understand the importance of getting young minds excited about programming and factory automation … and maybe someday making a career out of it."

In an effort to get kids more interested in math, science and programming, the Boy Scouts of America introduced the new badge that allows scouts to learn how programming makes digital devices useful and fun. To earn the badge, scouts navigate through the steps offered on their webpage. They have to write three programs in three programming languages in three different industries, including the web, games, embedded controls, factory automation, and more. This allows the scouts to see how real programming is used in the workplace.

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