Adventurous Journeys

Although only one section of the Award, the Adventurous Journey is a memorable challenge.

The Adventurous Journey (“AJ”) section encourages a sense of adventure and self-discovery while undertaking a journey with a group. Either with local classmates/peers or with a group of Participants from across the country, young people collaborate to plan and enact a challenging journey.

Participants earning their Award complete an Adventurous Journey with the support of AJ Supervisors and Assessors. Not all Award Centers choose to train staff/volunteers to deliver their own Adventurous Journey. For programs that have no trained Supervisors and Assessors, Award USA trains and licenses outdoor providers to deliver training, practice journeys, and qualifying journeys.

Open Adventurous Journey

Participants from across the country may register for an Open Adventurous Journey. The Open AJ takes place in a “camp style” format, providing training, a practice journey, and a qualifying journey for a group of Participants at one level of the Award (Bronze, Silver, Gold) during a 1-2 week timeframe. Open Adventurous Journeys are provided by trained and licensed Registered Activity Providers (RAPs) in locations around the country. Open AJs are designed by RAPs to suit each level of the Award with appropriate training, terrain, and method of travel.

What is a Registered Activity Provider?

Registered Activity Providers (“RAPs”) are trained and licensed by the Award USA to offer Adventurous Journeys and/or Gold Projects. Many RAPS offer offer customized Adventurous Journeys for an Award Center/Award group. A local RAP may be able to provide training via after-school or weekend workshops, a weekend practice journey and another weekend qualifying journey that is aligned with Participants’ school breaks.

Many RAPs also offer the pre-planned “camp-style” open Adventurous Journeys described above that include the training, practice journey and qualifying journey within a 1-2 week camp. Participants in the virtual Open Award Center may complete their Adventurous Journey through one of these pre-planned camp-style Adventurous Journeys. If there is space available, an entire Award Center or Award group can sign up for the pre-planned Adventurous Journey.

Looking for an Open Adventurous Journey or to become a RAP?