Be Prepared for 21st Century Scouting

DIY.org is selling kids on an engineering-driven Scout culture.

Along with Cryptographer and Rocketeer, Circuit Bender is one of the badges children can strive for at joy-of-making website DIY.org. San Francisco-based startup DIY is trying to modernize the Boy Scout and Girl Scout model with dozens of awards, some conventional (Sailor, Woodworker) and others not so much (Open Sourcerer, Sys Admin). Once kids pick an anthropomorphic animal face as their avatar, create an alias (“Please don’t use your real name!” the site warns), and provide a parent’s e-mail address, they can earn the badges by posting a picture or video as proof that they’ve completed requisite tasks. The site also encourages them to form local DIY clubs and become ardent “makers”—Valley-speak for do-it-yourselfers. “We want to help kids reassess what they’re capable of,” says Chief Executive Officer Zach Klein. “When you’re able to do things yourself, parts of the world are unlocked for you.”

DIY’s backers, which include Kleiner Perkins, describe it as an ambitious and pure-hearted effort at building a social network for young makers; critics see the venture more as a cynical attempt to sell branded swag.

So far, about 100,000 kids (average age, 12) have signed up on the DIY site since its launch last year. On each skill page, they find sample tasks to earn the corresponding badge, along with how-to videos and write-ups. On the site’s forums, children can help each other and coordinate gatherings.

Libby Walker, an 11-year-old from central Pennsylvania, spent years in the Girl Scouts before hopping over to DIY, where she goes by the name Evil Ladybug. “I never really liked the Girl Scouts, because you’re stuck with the same people for, like, 12 years,” she says. Through DIY, she interacts with kids from all over the world.

The badges themselves are colorful, cartoonish works of art, woven in China.

The bottom line: A do-it-yourself startup wants to be a 21st century version of scouting for kids, their parents, and relevant corporations.

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