Czech Scouting Institute

As a special organisational unit of Junák - Czech Scouting, the Scouting Institute is part of the largest Scout organisation in Czechia, but at the same time it is largely an autonomous organisation. It was created for the purpose of looking after the history of the Scout movement and gradually expanded its mission to finding inspiration in the tradition and experience of Scouting for contemporary society. It deals with important topics that reflect Scout values, such as Scouting history, revitalisation of public spaces, education, young adults, landscape and climate change, or aid for Ukrainian refugees.

Possible benefits:
⚜️ making the experience and values ​​of Scouting available to the public
⚜️ increasing the reach of Scout methods through their versions adapted for the public
⚜ ️communicating with and activating the public by addressing current social issues
⚜️ enriching the Scout movement with new ideas, methods and impulses
⚜️ activating former members and reaching out to new ones
⚜️ diversification of resources through non-profit and economic activity

One of our permanent projects is the Scout Archive. Its team looks after the memory of Czech Scouting not only by preserving various records and materials, but also by popularising its history and actively involving Scouts of all ages. Exhibitions, films, thematic blogs and lectures encourage interest in the movement's past among Scouts and present the stories of great Scouts and historic events to the public. Through cooperation with other organisations it also actively involves individuals and entire Scout teams in documenting the lives of Scout heroes from their communities. Thanks to the Scout Archive, the memory of Czech Scouting is still alive and its projects can be a source of inspiration in Czechia and beyond.

Possible benefits:
⚜️ interactive ways of working with historical materials
⚜️ uncovering white spots in Scouting history and sharing inspirational stories
⚜️ involvement of Scouts and the public in research projects
⚜️ promoting Scout values with movement ​​members by keeping the memory alive

Adult Scouts who have completed the key part of their Scouting education process are often looking for further ways to be active. We help them establish "Forums", called "Scouting Institute in [their city]". Today there are more than a dozen such teams throughout Czechia.
These are open communities that adhere to the values ​​of the Scout movement, choose what topics concern them and their city, and produce a series of public events or projects on these topics. At the heart of the Forum is not a specific physical space, but rather a group of people, whose shared activity creates a discussion platform in the physical and online world. The added value of the Forum lies in the fact that its organisational team works both on its own self-development and on the enrichment of the local community, for which the informal educational activities of the Forum are intended. Furthermore, these activities may help connect the local scouting community with parents, teachers and even city officials.

Possible benefits:
⚜️ addressing local pressing issues and topics through open events
⚜️ active dialogue of local Scout and non-Scout communities
⚜️ raising awareness of Scouting and its values ​​among the public
⚜️ opportunities for adult members in the Scout movement outside of troop activities
⚜️ self-realisation, networking and self-development for adult Scout members after reaching Rover age

Since tackling contemporary issues is a big part of our mission, we couldn't have ommitted climate change as an area of focus. Our little part of the recipe for change for the better aims to let children from a young age experience that their actions can influence a change for ther better in their surroundings. In Patronages programme we connect Scout troops as well as public schools with a conservation expert and with the owner or a warden of a valuable piece of landscape. The expert prepares the children and leads at least two interventions in the area every year. Within 5 years, we have been able to spread the programme to the entire country, currently engaging 240 troops and schools.

Possible benefits:
⚜️ Scout patrols and children's groups actively contribute to solving climate change
⚜️ educating and changing the attitudes of Scouts and the public on the topic of climate change
⚜️ tangible positive impact on the landscape
⚜️ strengthening the young generation's capacity for action and a solution-oriented approach
⚜️ increasing public awareness of the Scout movement's ability to act

We have been all over the new eighth element of the Scout method, community involvement, even before it was approved. In 2024 we will celebrate a decade since we first set foot inside what would become our first major project: SI na Staromáku. It started as two little unfurnished rooms in the heart of Prague, nowadays it is a 1500-square-meter public space, an oasis in the tourist-trappy city centre, which gets visited by thousands of people every month. Throughout the decade, it has also been hosting dozens of public events every month and has served as a meeting space for a myriad of Scout troops, units and courses. There is a café which allows it to remain open every day and also makes up for some of the costs connected with operating such a space with such programme.
Besides SI na Staromáku, we are also running a similar space on the other side of Vltava river. SI v Rybárně serves as a public workshop with all kinds of tools and materials to let visitors make something with their own hands.

Possible benefits:
⚜️ direct contact with the public and strengthening its relationship to Scout values ​​and experience
⚜️ the development of young adults through the operation and programme management of the space
⚜️ using a physical location as a tool to build a connected community of Scouts and non-Scouts
⚜️ building the brand and the public's relationship with the organisation through activities in the space based on current social issues
⚜️ strengthening sustainability through economic activity in the spaces