Northern Star's Diversity Award

The Diversity Award was created by the Northern Star Council Diversity Committee more than a decade ago to strengthen inclusiveness and create cultural awareness and understanding. The award is now being administered by the Outreach Committee.

To help develop a deeper understanding of diversity, inclusion and equity, the Northern Star Scouting has created a series of Diversity Awards which are available for all members, in all programs, youth and adult.

The symbol on the Diversity Award patch is the mythical Sankofa bird of West Africa. “The Sankofa teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward”.

The Diversity Award was created to strengthen inclusiveness and create cultural awareness and understanding.

All of our Northern Star Scouting Diversity Awards have several components: developing a better understanding of your family history and learning about other cultures / faiths, journaling and then sharing what you have learned.

There are Six levels of awards

  • Cub Scouts and Webelos
  • Scouts BSA under age 14
  • Scouts BSA age 14 and older
  • Venturers
  • Exploring
  • Adults

The requirements are listed on the application form. The award is a temporary patch which may be worn on the right pocket of a Scout uniform. A single patch design is earned for all levels, and different colored borders are used to distinguish the levels.

The symbol on the patch is the mythical Sankofa bird of West Africa. The Sankofa teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone, or been stripped of, can be reclaimed, revived, preserved, and perpetuated.

Northern Star Scouting’s Definition of Diversity

"The existence of human differences (including but not limited to race, culture, religion, gender, language, family status, economic status, physical and cognitive ability) which affect our relationships, institutions and interactions with others.”

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Northern Star's Diversity Award

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