Citizenship in the World Merit Badge
International relations, global organizations, and what it means to be a responsible global citizen.
Good fit if you like
Tips for Earning This Badge
- 1Research two or three global organizations (UN, Red Cross, World Food Programme) before your counselor meeting — the discussions go much better when you have specifics.
- 2Pick international topics you genuinely find interesting; the conversations are more open-ended than they look.
- 3Many scouts earn all four Citizenship badges in a single merit badge college weekend.
- 4Counselors tend to probe follow-up questions on whatever you bring up — know one topic in real depth rather than five topics superficially.
- 5A common pitfall: treating the discussion like a quiz with right answers. This badge rewards scouts who have actually thought about the material, not memorized it.
Available at Merit Badge Colleges
This badge is commonly offered at merit badge college events hosted by councils and universities. A great way to knock it out in a weekend with an experienced counselor. Learn how to find one near you.
Official Requirements
We keep this page focused on tips and what to expect, not a copy of the requirement text — requirements get revised periodically, and scouts are generally held to whichever version was current when they started the badge (the same reason Scoutbook lets you filter by pamphlet version). For the exact, current wording, check your Scoutbook record for this badge or the official page below.
Citizenship in the World on scouting.org ↗Finding a Counselor
Ask your Scoutmaster for the council's merit badge counselor list. For popular badges, a parent in your troop may already be registered as a counselor. If your troop doesn't have one, your council's advancement chair can help connect you.
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