Wood Badge
Course Dates:
November 7 – November 12, 2027
What is Wood Badge?
Step Into Something Bigger—Become the Leader Every Scout Deserves
Wood Badge isn’t just another training—it’s a life-changing leadership experience. Set within a dynamic, hands-on Scouting environment, this premier course challenges you to step away from the everyday and fully invest in your growth as a leader, mentor, and changemaker.
For one powerful week, you’ll unplug from routine and immerse yourself in an experience that will sharpen your skills, expand your perspective, and reignite your passion for Scouting. This is more than time away—it’s time well spent, focused on becoming the kind of leader who makes a lasting difference.
During Wood Badge, you’ll gain practical, real-world leadership tools that extend far beyond Scouting. You’ll strengthen your ability to truly listen and communicate with purpose. You’ll learn how to navigate conflict with confidence, lead teams through change, and plan meaningful, successful projects. You’ll explore how to build inclusive teams by understanding generational differences and valuing diverse perspectives. Most importantly, you’ll discover how to lead with vision—turning ideas into action and inspiring others to follow.
Why Wood Badge at SBR?
Nestled in the rugged mountains of West Virginia, Summit Bechtel Reserve is a one-of-a-kind Scouting destination spanning more than 14,000 acres of adventure, leadership, and natural beauty. As a National High Adventure Base and the permanent home of the National Scout Jamboree, the Summit features world-class facilities alongside outdoor experiences like zip lines, rock climbing, mountain biking, shooting sports, and whitewater rafting in the nearby New River Gorge. With its purpose-built training centers, expansive program areas, and a setting designed to inspire growth and connection, the Summit blends cutting-edge Scouting programs with the spirit of the outdoors to create an unforgettable environment for learning and leadership.
Some opportunities don’t just teach you—they stay with you. Taking Wood Badge at Summit Bechtel Reserve is one of those experiences.
Set against a backdrop built for adventure, innovation, and leadership, the Summit offers an environment that naturally inspires you to think bigger, connect deeper, and fully engage in the journey. This weeklong course gives you the space to step away from daily distractions and truly immerse yourself—not just in the curriculum, but in the experience of Scouting at its most dynamic.
You’ll learn alongside passionate Scouters from across the country, gaining fresh perspectives and ideas you can bring back to your own unit. With the involvement of national-level leaders and experienced volunteers, you’ll be exposed to a wide range of insights and approaches that broaden your understanding of what Scouting can be.
Just as important are the connections you’ll build. The Summit draws people together in a way that creates lasting bonds—relationships that continue long after the course ends and become a network of support, inspiration, and friendship throughout your Scouting journey.
Every Wood Badge course delivers powerful leadership training. Taking it at the Summit adds something extra—an unforgettable setting, a national perspective, and an experience that energizes you in ways that extend far beyond the week itself.
Come for the training.
Leave with a renewed vision, stronger connections, and memories that will last a lifetime.
