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supernova
The Supernova Award
How Scouts Earn Supernova
How Scouts Earn Supernova
The BSA STEM in Scouting awards program began in 2012 with two different award levels: NOVA and SUPERNOVA.
For scouts seeking a greater STEM challenge, there are seven SUPERNOVA awards available to earn at the various program levels.
- Cub Scout Wolf and Bear (1) - Dr. Luis W. Alvarez Award
- Cub Scout Webelos and Arrow of Light (1) - Dr. Charles H. Townes Award
- Scouts BSA (2) - Dr. Bernard Harris & Thomas Edison Awards
- Venturing/Sea Scouting (3) - Dr. Sally Ride, Wright Brothers, and Dr. Albert Einstein Awards
Award Requirements at scouting.org
How Scouts Earn Supernova
How Scouts Earn Supernova
How Scouts Earn Supernova
START
- Choose a Supernova Mentor. Youth may ONLY be coached by a council-approved Supernova Mentor.
- Your parents are not allowed to mentor you except at the Cub level when no other mentor is available and when working on the award in a small group setting.
- Meet with your mentor following YPT guidelines to plan your own personal work on the award. This is an individual award that recognizes individual effort to completion.
TIME
- Cubs may be able to complete the award in several months to a year.
- Scouts must be First Class and often take a couple years or more to complete requirements.
- Venturers and Sea Scouts have a more rigorous set of requirements which may take several years to complete.
- There is no time limit other than youth eligibility for that level of BSA program.
FINISH
- Your supernova mentor submits a complete application which is reviewed at at the Council level.
- Per the official BSA form, your application must include "copies of all my reports and other appropriate documentation for consideration".
- After approval by council and national, your supernova medal is ordered. When it arrives it may be purchased at the Scout Shop.
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Committee meeting and application review dates
The Committee meets on the third Thursday each month to discuss applications. Applications are due a minimum of one week beforehand to allow time for the review process. Please make sure your applications are submitted in full and in the correct format by the following dates:
Month Application Due Date Committee Meeting Date
January 1/14/2021 1/21/2021
February 2/11/2021 2/18/2021
March 3/11/2021 3/18/2021
April 4/8/2021 4/15/2021
May 5/20/2020 5/27/2021 (*delayed 1 week)
June not processing
July not processing
August 8/12/2021 8/19/2021
September 9/9/2021 9/16/2021
October 10/14/2021 10/21/2021
November 11/11/2021 11/18/2021
December 12/9/2021 12/16/2021