Scholarship Merit Badge Cradle of Liberty Merit Badge College 9/10 pd. – 2:10-3:20, Room S217 3/25 & 4/22 2015 Brian V. Larson, Ph.D. Assistant Scout Master, Troop 512 - Springfield Professor of Business - Widener University Welcome. Start with name game if enough scouts are enrolled. What are your dreams? How many like learning? How many plan to go on to college?

WHAT WE KNOW Education’s Value Some HS: $973,000 HS graduate: $1.3 million College graduate: 2.3 million Students spend 2,000 days in the classroom and 17,000 hours studying by the time they graduate high school. Why? The winner of a tip-off off must just a little bit better. We are called to be better. It takes only a little bit to be better. …be a little bit better every day! And education/opportunity is around us to make us better. For requirement 2a, scouts must make a list of educational places where they live (other than schools). Ask scouts to compile a list. Write on board and have scouts copy down.

Learn how to improve classroom skills Why the Scholarship MB? Learn how to improve classroom skills Develop good study habits* (requirement 1) Master techniques for writing reports and taking tests For requirement 1 scouts have to show a ‘B’ average or higher (80%) for one term or semester (1a) OR show that for one term or semester he has improved his school grades over the previous period (1b). They should be prepared to discuss or show.

Improving Your Grades How? Mind mapping Your workspace: clean, supplied, good equipment Time management: schedule learning Organize material by subject Have a organizer/calendar (record due dates, prep dates, & activities on electronic and paper versions) Test taking – think while reading, read/test/read/test, exercise periodically…Einstein did! Think positively Get a tutor early Have students give ideas about how they work best (answer HOW?). Write on the board and discuss. Then, show what experts say. Show Planet and galaxy powerpoints. The point is that in the scheme of things, a test isn’t that big of a deal. There are bigger things.

Your Turn… (answer 1 in your workbook) What team school project or extra-curricular activities do YOU participate in? From that experience: What is the importance of team work? Discuss your participation in a school project during the past semester where you were a part of a team. Tell about the positive contribution you made to the team and project. Open the floor to discussion. Scouts should participate and take notes. Every scout must answer in their workbook one of the this slide. It is part of requirement 4. Write in their workbook or take notes to write in their notebook later.

Curiosity: Don’t Worry About the Cat What are YOU curious about? What do you do to satisfy your curiousity? Requirement 2a asks students to visit an education place to learn something or visit a professional whose work interests the scout. This was done during the second slide (with cars on it). Scouts should have written down places where they go to learn (educational places). Write these in their workbook as a requirement for 2a and visit one of the places and report on how the scout used it for self-education. For requirement 2d, scouts are asked to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods of research available to them for school assignments, such as the library, books and periodicals, and the internet.

Methods of Research Libraries Books Periodicals Internet What are advantages and disadvantages of each? This is requirement 2d. Libraries: Advantages – free books, internet, reference librarians Disadvantages Books: Advantages – deep information Periodicals: Advantages - Internet: Advantages – fast, lots of information Disadvantages – some garbage,

Your Turn… IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE THIS - Take an Index Card: Write down positives about your academic career so far…things like helping younger students, tutoring, participating in extracurricular activities, helping educators, helping your community, etc. Take the card into the principal’s interview. See page 48. This was assigned as a pre-req. Scouts should’ve already done it. For requirement 3 scouts are supposed to get a note from the principal of your school of another school official named by the principal that states that during the past year their behavior, leadership, and service have been satisfactory.

Education and Your Future How are you going to use your education? Plan for college NOW: visit campuses during vacation look at college websites request information from Admission department find out entrance requirements GPA, SAT/ACT, extra-curricular activities references from key people who know you Paying college – some teachers, gov’t, and non-profit workers can get Public Service Loan Forgiveness Relates to requirement 5.

For Next Time - Finish second part of 2a if you haven’t Complete 5a (Write a report of 250-300 words about how the education you receive in school will be of value to you in the future and how you will continue to educate yourself in the future). OR complete 5b (Write a report of 250-300 words about two careers that interest you and how specific classes and good scholarship I ngeneral will help you achieve your career goals).