Venturing (Ages 14 – 20)
Venturing Crews provide positive experiences through exciting and meaningful youth-run activities that help them pursue their special interests, grow by teaching others, and develop leadership skills. Each unit is youth-run, but guided by trained adult leaders.
Start Your Adventure
From experiencing the thrill of high adventure outdoor activities or the accomplishment of mastering a challenging real-world project, to the satisfaction of making a measurable difference in the community, in Venturing friends have the time of their lives while learning about life, together.
The Venturing program features a challenging series of four awards that one can earn: the Venturing, Discovery, Pathfinder, and Summit Awards. The Venturing Summit Award is equivalent to the rank of Eagle in Scouting.
Venturing Crews
For more information about any of our Venturing crews or starting a crew contact the Council today »
Community Service Crew
The Piedmont Community Service Crew (PCSC) focuses on serving the broader community. In addition to feeding the hungry, tutoring refugee children and improving local parks, PCSC plans, fundraises, and annually executes two major projects with Rebuilding Together Oakland to renovate homes for low-income residents. PCSC service projects provide significant leadership experience.
High Adventure Crew
Want to go kayaking? Backpacking? Snow camping? Choose and plan your outdoor adventures with the High Adventure Crew (HAC). Members learn new skills and gain confidence on outings that range from day hikes, to paragliding, to camp-outs, to multi-day trips that require self-sufficiency in the wilderness. Composed of girls and boys looking for adventure, the Crew is well advised by experienced adult volunteers.
Piedmont Film Production Crew
If film is your passion, check out the Film Production Crew! Teens learn and improve their filmmaking and production skills while creating a variety of community-focused shorts covering events, activities, and topics relevant to teens. Space is limited.
Food and Cooking Crew
The Food and Cooking Crew is for youth interested in learning more about food and cooking. Activities include monthly meetings where the Crew members prepare food together; cooking projects for various community service organizations; visits to local farmer’s markets/restaurants/urban gardens; and meetings with local chefs and others involved in the Bay Area food scene.
Venturing Officers Association (VOA)
Leaders from our coed teen units, plus the Piedmont Service Squad, collaborate on events and share best practices for recruiting and operating a youth led unit. Any teen interested in becoming a part of the VOA is invited.
Piedmont Service Squad
Designed for younger youth, Piedmont Service Squad (PSS) is a newly formed community service club for 6th to 8th graders. PSS regularly partners with the older members of the Piedmont Community Service Crew at events that range from cooking and serving meals for the homeless, to working at the Alameda County Community Food Bank, to environmental work in the Oakland area.
Leadership
“Venturing has let me experience a variety of leadership opportunities that I would not have experienced otherwise, and I learned that the best leaders guide and enable, instead of taking over and doing tasks themselves. Leading activities empowered me as a high schooler, showing that if I have passion, there’s nothing stopping me from the dreams and visions I have.”
– Nina Adarkar, PHS 2017
President of PCSC and HAC
Adult Volunteers
Adult volunteers underpin the success of each program. Volunteer and discover the benefits of sharing common experiences alongside teens, learning new skills, and having fun while supporting, coaching and training our youth. Participate at any level – from event volunteer to a crew advisor – and make a positive impact on a young person’s future.