Scouting operates in developmental age sections, whereby the age section is created around the changing needs of young people as they grow and develop through the Youth Programme in a specific target age group. The fourth stage of the GPS aims to define the age sections of your NSO’s Youth Programme in relation to the stages of development of young people.

It is important that you understand how young people develop and grow as individuals as from there you can answer how your NSO’s  Youth Programme can adapt to meet these changing developmental needs through targeted age groups. 

This section explores the three areas of developmental research and the broad stages of and factors in the development of young people. It looks specifically at model age sections and the implementation of the team system.

24th World Scout Jamboree, in Summit Bechtel Reserve, West-Virginia, USA – Vie des sous-camps. Photo © Jean-Pierre POUTEAU 2019