Venturers and Sea Scouts are able to learn about STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and receive awards for performing experiments and reporting on what they've done. These awards are fun activities for your unit to perform together or as an independent weekend activity.
These Nova awards closely mirror the ones for Scouts BSA, but these will require STEM explorations instead of merit badges.
Science
- Launch! - Explore how science affects your life each day.
- Wade! - Explore how water affects your life every day.
- What a Life! - Explore different facets of the biological life and living systems around you.
Technology
- Execute! - Explore how programming affects everyday life.
- Power Up - Explore how technology affects their life each day.
- Something from Nothing - Explore 3D printing and how it is becoming prevalent in everyday life.
Engineering
- Hang On! - Explore how engineering affects their life each day.
- Up and Away - Explores the world of fluid dynamics, and how it affects your everyday life.
Math
- Numbers Don't Lie - Explore how math affects his or her life each day.
Earning Nova Awards


Completion of requirements needs to be confirmed by a registered Nova award counselor. When everything's been accomplished, the Nova counselor will use Advancement Report, form 34403 to record the advancement. This form should be given to the unit's advancement chair to be recorded.
If this is the Scout's first Nova award in any program, they should be awarded with the Venturing / Sea Scouts Nova patch, which has a green border as shown above. Subsequent Nova awards are recognized with a Pi device (the pin), which should be pinned to a point on the patch. This means if a Scout has earned the Nova patch in any other program, continue to use that patch and keep adding Pi devices.
Supernova Awards
Ready to take your STEM adventures to the next level? Want to wear a medal to your formal events? Then the Supernova awards are for you! These awards are designed to be more challenging and more rewarding than the Nova awards. The medals that are awarded are rarely seen and are amazing to wear.
Learn more about the Supernova awards and the award progression.
Related Explorations
Nova awards for Venturers and Sea Scouts require a STEM exploration. If your activities already align with one of these topics, it would be an ideal time to also earn a Nova award.
- Additive Manufacturing - Something from Nothing
- American Business - Numbers Don't Lie
- Animal Science - What a Life!
- Archery - Hang On!, Launch!
- Astronomy - Launch!
- Athletics - Launch!
- Automotive Maintenance - Power Up
- Aviation - Hang On!, Launch!, Power Up, Up and Away
- CAD Modeling - Something from Nothing
- Canoeing - Power Up, Up and Away
- Chemistry - Up and Away, Wade!
- Chess - Numbers Don't Lie
- Composite Materials - Hang On!
- Computer Hardware - Execute!
- Computers - Numbers Don't Lie
- Cryptology - Execute!
- Cybersecurity - Execute!
- Cycling - Power Up
- Drafting - Hang On!, Numbers Don't Lie, Power Up
- Electricity - Power Up
- Electronics - Execute!, Hang On!
- Energy - Power Up
- Engineering - Hang On!
- Entrepreneurship - Numbers Don't Lie
- Environmental Science - Wade!, What a Life!
- Farm Mechanics - Power Up
- Fish and Wildlife Management - Wade!, What a Life!
- Fishing - Wade!, What a Life!
- Fly-Fishing - Wade!
- Forestry - Wade!, What a Life!
- Gardening - What a Life!
- Geology - Wade!
- Information Technology - Execute!
- Insect Study - What a Life!
- Inventing - Hang On!, Something from Nothing
- Kayaking - Up and Away
- Mammal Study - What a Life!
- Medicine - What a Life!
- Model Design and Building - Hang On!
- Modern Manufacturing - Something from Nothing
- Motorboating - Power Up
- Nature - Wade!, What a Life!
- Networking - Execute!
- Nuclear Science - Power Up
- Oceanography - Up and Away, Wade!, What a Life!
- Orienteering - Numbers Don't Lie
- Personal management - Numbers Don't Lie
- Plant Science - What a Life!
- Plumbing - Up and Away
- Polymers and Plastics - Something from Nothing
- Programming - Execute!
- Public Health - Wade!
- Radio - Numbers Don't Lie
- Railroading - Hang On!, Power Up
- Rifle Shooting - Hang On!, Launch!
- Robotics - Execute!, Hang On!, Launch!
- Rowing - Up and Away
- Scuba Diving - Up and Away
- Sculpting - Something from Nothing
- Shotgun Shooting - Hang On!, Launch!
- Small-Boat Sailing - Power Up
- Social Media Marketing - Execute!
- Soil and Water Conservation - Wade!, What a Life!
- Space Exploration - Launch!, Power Up
- Surveying - Numbers Don't Lie
- Sustainability - Wade!
- Swimming - Up and Away
- Truck Transportation - Power Up
- Veterinary science - What a Life!
- Weather - Launch!, Numbers Don't Lie, Wade!
- Wildlife conservation - What a Life!
- Wood Carving - Something from Nothing
- Wood Working - Something from Nothing