Nerdscouting FAQs

  1. What is Nerdscouting? What’s the big picture?
  2. Wait, who are you calling a nerd? Isn’t that an insult?
  3. Does it cost anything? (Nope, it’s free!)
  4. So.. to what would I be committing, exactly?
  5. You mentioned teams?
  6. “Badges? …BADGES?!!”
  7. How do I try it out?
  8. What if I don’t wanna work with a team?
  9. What are ranks?
  10. Are deadlines a problem?

1) What is Nerdscouting? What’s the big picture?
Nerdscouting is an organization dedicated to:

  • Recognizing and honoring what people (young and old) are excited about.
  • Reminding people that it is absolutely OK to be excited about things!
  • Encouraging people to keep trying new things, learning new things, and broadening their horizons.
  • Connecting people together in teams to have fun and support each other as they learn and grow.

Nerdscouting offers:

  • Peer-led meetings with no fees, for ages 10 through 17, and also for adult teams.
  • A way to track accomplishments and personal growth by earning badges in Nerd Culture and Skills, and by advancing through ranks.
  • A forum to share with, support, and be supported by others.

Nerdscouting has no gender requirement, no religion requirement, and no sexual orientation requirement. It has nerdiness at its core: a willingness to be passionate about something, even if – especially if – that interest isn’t “popular.”
(Home, Top)

2) Wait, who are you calling a nerd? Isn’t that an insult?
Not at all! Nerds are people who are deeply interested in or knowledgeable about a subject or a number of subjects. We are intelligent, passionate, and enthusiastic. We often crave new knowledge and value learning for its own sake.

“Nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff. Nerds are allowed to love stuff – like, jump-up-and-down-in-your-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it. When people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is, ‘You like stuff,’ which is not a good insult at all. Like, you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.”
      – John Green, author
(Home, Top)

3) Does it cost anything? (Nope, it’s free!)
Donkey:Really?
Shrek: Really Really.
(Home, Top)

4) So.. to what would I be committing, exactly?
To show up at (or dial into) meetings. Well, some of ‘em anyway. When you join a team, you commit to attend many of the team’s meetings. Some teams meet using the Web (WebTeams) and others meet in person (LocalTeams). The team may agree to meet whenever they choose (e.g. weekly, monthly or once every decade (?!))… but… if you miss three meetings in a row, the team can remove you to make room for others. This would make it easier for new members to find experienced teams that are convenient for them.
(Home, Top)

5) You mentioned teams?
In our experience, anything worth doing is more fun when you do it with people who have similar values, some common interests or goals… friends. Nerdscouting is a way to be with your friends and make new friends while you share stuff, and learn stuff, and grow. We know what it’s like to love a book, or a skill, or learning itself so much that you can’t stop talking about it. We know that not everyone understands. But trust us: It is OK to like stuff! We welcome your passion and encourage you to open your brilliant mind to even more wonders. Nerdscouting is a safe place to talk about the things you are passionately interested in and knowledgeable about. Nerdscouting is a safe place to be a nerd.

Teams are either LocalTeams which meet face to face, or WebTeams which meet online, sharing a language and usually a time zone.  Each team chooses how often to meet, what they do in meetings, and if they want to welcome more members into the team.
(Home, Top)

6) “Badges? …BADGES?!!”
Nerds like stuff, and Nerdscouting celebrates its members for their fandoms, their interests, and their acquired skills by conferring badges when members earn them through experience in those interests and skills.

Nerdscout badges come in two categories: Culture and Skills.

  • Culture badges are opportunities to try different aspects of nerd culture (including books, movies, TV shows, and webcomics) and delve deeper into the ones that grab your interest. You will likely find some badges that celebrate things you already love as well as many that are new to you. We encourage you to try new things while you continue to enjoy the passions that brought you to Nerdscouting.
  • Skill badges allow you to receive credit for skills you already possess while trying new things and maybe even discovering a new favorite. We strive for diversity in Skill badges and encourage you to try a variety of activities, from swing dancing to folding paper airplanes to writing HTML code.

There are three levels for each badge, reflecting different levels of effort and achievement.

  1. At the Novice badge level, you earn recognition for trying something new and credit for things you have already tried.
  2. At the Veteran level, you show that you have achieved a level of knowledge or skill to be proud of.
  3. A Legend badge is a symbol of true nerdy passion that involves deep knowledge or skill as well as fostering an interest in others.

You can work on badges individually or with other members of your Nerdscout team. Once you have earned a badge, you can be a resource for teammates who might want to try it as well. Even more exciting is that our library of badges is meant to reflect the interests and passions of our current membership. As Nerdscouts earn badges, they can also move up in ranks.  Once you achieve Initiate rank, you are invited to create new Culture and Skill badges that you and your teammates would like to earn.(List of current badges)
(Home, Top)

7) How do I try it out?

  1. Register. This requires giving us an email address to which your team can send meeting invites; we won’t spam you or sell it. You can click on this link here, or in the upper right corner of the home page.
  2. Login using your newly registered account, getting you access to the member’s menu with more options.
  3. From the member’s menu that is then visible, choose “Join a team” (a convenient existing team, a new team, or an “Introductory team” to join temporarily while you decide what you want). Your new team will contact you about how to start attending meetings. You may also explore our member’s menu to learn more Nerdscouting stuff, if you’d like.
  4. Enjoy!
    (Home, Top)

8) What if I don’t wanna work with a team, or I  never get around to badges?
Although Nerdscouting is best enjoyed in the companionship of others, it may be that you don’t want to be a part of that yet. Or if the companionship is more interesting than badges. Well, a few good options exist:

  • Just because you are meeting with your teammates doesn’t mean you all have to be working on the same badges. You can be exploring Swing Dance while they bask in “Once Upon a Time.”
  • If meeting in groups is not something you are really ready for, you can join a team that meets rarely, with most of its members working alone. You can later decide to change to another team that meets more frequently, if you’d like.
  • And some Nerdscouts just enjoy the social aspect, and get badges very slowly, that’s OK, too.
    (Home, Top)

9) What are ranks?
As you spend time in Nerdscouting, you will encounter opportunities to reach milestones in your exploration of badges and teamwork. Nerdscouts who choose to reach these milestones can move to a more advanced rank. Some of these milestones come from trying an increasingly broad diversity of badges. Others come from deepening your experience in badges you choose.
(Home, Top)

10) Are deadlines a problem?
There are no deadlines for earning badges or advancing up ranks. The closest thing to a deadline is that you should attend most of your team’s meetings. If you miss three meetings in a row, your team may remove you to make room. See “To what would I be committing,  exactly?”).
(Home, Top)