Merit Badge Academy

The Merit Badge Academy at Camp Emerson

April  11th, 2026 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Stay Friday and Saturday night at no additional charge
Sleep in Cabins all meals included

An exceptional value at just $95 Saturday only or $125 stay the weekend

Camp Emerson
53155 Idyllbrook Dr
Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549

Choose from:

Animal Science 
Disabilities Awareness – pre-requisite: requirement 2, 3
Drafting 
Personal Management – pre-requisites: requirements 1, 2
Photography – pre-requisites: requirements 1b, 7a *Must Bring a Digital Camera or Smart Phone
Public Health 

Merit Badge Counselors may not require the use of Merit Badge Workbooks.
However a Merit Badge workbook can help you organize your thoughts as you prepare for Merit Badge Academy. Merit Badge workbooks are linked to the the listed Merit Badges

1. Focused Learning: Scouts get the opportunity to focus intensively on specific merit badges in a structured environment, with few distractions.
2. Skill Development: Merit badges cover a wide range of practical skills and knowledge areas. Merit Badges help scouts become more self-reliant, responsible, and informed individuals.
3. Efficient Advancement: Scouts can earn multiple badges over a single weekend, which accelerates their progress and keeps them motivated toward their rank advancement goals.
4. Teamwork and Leadership: By working alongside peers, Scouts improve their teamwork abilities and have opportunities to practice leadership as they collaborate with others on tasks and discussions.
5. Exposure to New Interests: Merit badges, like Programming or Law, introduce Scouts to topics they might not encounter in their day-to-day lives, sparking new interests or even potential career paths.