The Royal Air Force (RAF)
Our partnership with the RAF is delivering resources, activities and events to support STEM.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) are passionate about equipping young people with the skills they need to soar.
The RAF are the new sponsors of our staged Air Activities badges across all Scout sections. The RAF are on hand to share their expert knowledge in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), providing Scouts with:
- Brand new resources to complete the Air Activities badges
- Access to STEM-based activities, challenges and competitions
- Access to exclusive events, including museum takeover days, where Scouts can learn from RAF STEM ambassadors and work towards or complete their badges in a single sitting
Badges and resources
With the Air Activities staged badges, all Scout sections can explore the secrets and science of flight. They'll learn about the workings of an aircraft, how to chart a journey across the sky and how to prototype their own flying machine.
Keen to get stuck in? The new activity resources for all six Air Activities badges are now available on the Programme Planning Tool. You can find these activities by clicking on the link under the badge on this page. You can also download the Air Researcher activity pack below which the RAF supported between 2015 and 2019.
Adapt these activities to try out at home
More activities and information packs
During our partnership with the RAF we have created some amazing additional resources which were featured in issues of our Partnerships Magazine, Make Do Share. Download these activities below.
Activities, challenges and competitions
The RAF offer a range of hands-on activities for Scouts, from one-hour STEM sessions to full-day programmes, challenges and competitions.
For more information, contact the RAF Youth and STEM team at rafyouthandstem@outlook.com
Events and takeover days:
Due to the current lockdown in response to the spread of corona virus, the RAF have suspended planned takeover days with the Scouts for the foreseeable future. Please keep checking back on this page for further updates.
Museum trips
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please check the opening details on the websites for museums before planning your trip.
Planning a day trip with your Scouts?
Visiting the Royal Air Force Museums or Imperial War Museums is a great way to bring the Air Researcher and Air Activities badges content to life and try something new together. Entry is often free, or available at a discounted rate for groups. Please check the websites below for more information.
Royal Air Force museums
Imperial War Museums
- IWM London
(free) - IWM Manchester
(free) - IWM Duxford
(offers a special group rate for 10 or more - use the online Visit Request Form)
About the RAF
The RAF is the air component of the United Kingdom's Armed Forces (the other services being the Royal Navy and British Army). It is the oldest independent airforce in the world. The RAF's mission is to support the objectives of the British Ministry of Defence (MoD), which are to "provide the capabilities needed: to ensure the security and defence of the United Kingdom and overseas territories, including against terrorism; to support the Government’s foreign policy objectives particularly in promoting international peace and security."
The RAF describes its mission statement as "... [to provide] An agile, adaptable and capable Air Force that, person for person, is second to none, and that makes a decisive air power contribution in support of the UK Defence Mission." The mission statement is supported by the RAF's definition of air power, which guides its strategy. Air power is defined as "the ability to project power from the air and space to influence the behaviour of people or the course of events."
Find out more about the RAF here.
RAF STEM Digital Workshop - sign up now!
Calling all Explorers Scouts! Through our partnership with the RAF, you can discover where engineering can take you from the comfort of your own home on an online engineering course based on true- to- life humanitarian type missions undertaken by RAF personnel.
The RAF have teamed-up with STEM education charity Smallpeice Trust to offer this STEM workshop exclusively to Scout Explorers. They have developed a series of interesting humanitarian engineering challenges hosted within an online learning platform; RAF personnel are also on-hand to offer support and guidance. The course offers the opportunity to practically explore how engineering can have a positive impact on the world by actually building prototypes, with all the resources provided for you in advance.
By taking part, you can also achieve your Explorers Science and Technology Activity Badge and a British Science Association Bronze Crest Award and Industrial Cadet Bronze Award.
To apply, click here: SmallPeice Trust Website
Where and When
The course will run from Tuesday 1st June 2021 – Friday 4th June 2021 at the following times:
Tuesday 1st June – 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
Wednesday 2nd – 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Thursday 3rd - 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Friday 4th - 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Attendees will need computer and internet access to take part.
Further Details:
- All course content is delivered by The Smallpeice Trust exclusively for the Scouts
- This course is only available to Explorer Scouts aged 14 or 15 on 1 June 2021
- The closing date for applications is 12 April 2021 and places will be offered out week commencing 19 April 2021
- There are 40 spaces available only. Successful candidates will be selected by the RAF, and not by the Scouts
By applying to take part, you will share your data directly with the RAF and Smallpeice Trust. To check their privacy policy, please click here: SmallPeice Trust Privacy Policy
The Royal Air Force RAF Charitable Trust (RAFCT)
The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust (RAFCT) is the youngest member of the Royal Air Force family of charities and has had a significant and positive impact on the lives of many young people. Through the support of a wide range of projects and initiatives, particularly those focused on supporting Science, Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM), the RAFCT strives to improve the lives and opportunities of young people across the UK.
To find out more about RAFCT, click here.