IRVING, TX, June 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scouting America today announced a new national partnership with the United States Secret Service to support personal and online safety education for Cub Scout–age youth (K-5) and their parents, using KidSmartz® and NetSmartz®, the nationally recognized child safety education program developed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
The partnership brings together Scouting America’s family-centered approach to youth development with United States Secret Service–supported community ambassadors located across the country, creating new opportunities for Cub Scout families to learn how to navigate the actual and digital world safely, confidently, and together.
This initiative aims to help families start important conversations early, develop healthy personal and digital habits, and learn how to identify and respond to risks – before those risks become serious.
“Scouting believes that being prepared and prevention go hand in hand—especially when it comes to keeping children safe,” said Glen Pounder, EVP & Chief Safeguarding Officer of Scouting America. “This partnership focuses on Cub Scout–age youth and their parents at a critical point, when online access is often increasing, and habits are forming. By working with trusted national partners and emphasizing parent involvement, we are helping families build skills that last.”
Focused on Younger Children and Parents
Unlike many online safety efforts that begin in the teenage years, this partnership is intentionally designed for elementary-age youth and their parents or caregivers. Research and experience show that digital engagement often begins well before adolescence, making early education and family engagement essential.
Using KidSmartz and NetSmartz, families will engage with interactive, developmentally appropriate resources that emphasize safe and respectful online behavior, recognizing unsafe situations and digital warning signs, knowing when and how to ask a trusted adult for help, and building shared expectations and healthy digital boundaries as a family.
National Reach Through Community Ambassadors
Through United States Secret Service–supported community ambassadors across the United States, the partnership will support Scouting America councils and Cub Scout programs by helping connect families with consistent, trusted online safety education.
“The United States Secret Service is proud to partner with Scouting America through the Childhood Smart Program. This effort supports high-quality online safety education, equipping youth and families to recognize and avoid today's digital risks. Reinforcing the importance of early education and proactive engagement builds safer online habits”.
A Shared Commitment to Prevention and Education
This new partnership reflects a shared commitment to prevention, education, and early engagement, helping families address personal and online safety proactively rather than reactively. Scouting America will integrate this initiative into existing Cub Scout settings, such as pack meetings, family activities, and parent engagement opportunities, ensuring families can learn together in trusted, familiar environments.
Additional details and resources for councils and families will be shared as the initiative rolls out nationwide.
To learn more about Scouting America’s commitment to youth safety, visit http://www.scouting.org/safety.
About Scouting America
Scouting America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®”
Scouting America welcomes all of America’s youth into its programs. Our goal is to give them fantastic experiences outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow with us in a safe environment. More than 130 million Americans have been through our programs since our founding, and currently almost one million youth are served by 477,000 adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country.
To learn more about Scouting America’s mission, or to sign your child up for Scouting, visit www.BeAScout.org.
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Gordon Shattles Scouting America 972-580-2119 gordon.shattles@scouting.org