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The Special Interest Areas (SIAs) encourage Scouts from all sections to try new things and pursue existing interests.
Scouts set their own goals, enabling them to design a project that interests and challenges them personally.
Special Interest Areas are encouraging Scouts to pursue a diversity of interests and to ensure any activity a Scout could possibly think of can be included.
Outcomes are always measured against an individual’s personal best.
When proposing a Special Interest Area project, Scouts will consider:
• Existing level of knowledge
• Skills
• Experiences
• Personal interests
• New challenges they want to explore
The project or activity must be linked to one of 6 interest areas:
• Creating a Better World
• Arts & Literature
• Growth & Development
• Environment
• STEM & Innovation
• Adventure & Sport
These areas are wide reaching and allow almost anything to be set as a Special Interest Area.
Each Scouting section has a required number of hours to be incorporated into each project.
• Joey Scouts – 2 hours
• Cubs Scouts – 4 hours
• Scouts – 8 hours
• Venturer Scouts – 12 hours
• Rover Scouts – 18 hours
When planning your SIA Project these are the questions you need to think of:
Plan Stage
Who will support this project?
Goal (include which SPICES (Social, Physical, Intellectual, Character, Emotional and Spiritual you will develop):
Who else will be involved?
What will I/we do?
What will I/we learn?
How will I/We do it?
Review Stage
What did you enjoy about your Special Interest Area?
What would you do differently next time?
What was successful about this project?
Which SPICES (Social, Physical, Intellectual, Character, Emotional and Spiritual) did you develop through doing this project?
Below is some information on each SIA category and some templates to help you with your project
Arts & Literature SIA
Creating, Crafting, Investigating, Drawing, Designing, Making, Directing, Performing.
Some ideas – Spotlighting animals in your local area and reporting to the local wildlife centre, Play a sport for a season, Swimming Lessons. UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Promoting lifelong learning. Goal 11: Make cities inclusive and resilience.
Adventure & Sport SIA
Exploring, Moving, Growing, Searching, Exciting, Team Based, Daring, Outside or Active.
Some ideas – Spotlighting animals in your local area and reporting to the local wildlife centre, Play a sport for a season, Swimming Lessons. UN Sustainable Development Goal 2: Improve nutrition and health.
Creating a Better World SIA
Creating, Crafting, Investigating, drawing, Designing, Making, Directing, Performing.
Some ideas – Create large posters for a cause such as fire prevention or water safety, Plant seeds in a garden, Inspire others to collect rubbish, Raise money for a cause, Local science. UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible production and consumption.
Environment SIA
Caring, Planting, Monitoring, Watching, Growing, Taking action, Citizen science, Looking after, Experimenting.
Some ideas – World Scout Environment Day, Clean Up Australia Day, Fresh and clean water and air, Climate change, Pollution & Litter, Habitat and species, Press & collect leaves. UN Sustainable Development Goal 13: Combat climate change.
Growth & Development SIA
Wellbeing, Health, Discussing, Relationships, Caring, Personal Skills, Leadership.
Some ideas – Learn how to speak words of another language, Mental Health Day, Volunteering, Helping out, Fitness, Discussing, Cooking. UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure health lives and promoting well-being.
Stem & Innovation SIA
Designing, Creating, Problem Solving, Modelling, Inventing, Discovering, Searching, Building.
Some ideas – Visit your local agricultural or science centre, Build a robot, Construct a tower, learn about flight and paper planes, make a bridge, Experiment with plants. UN Sustainable Development Goal 9: Foster innovation
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