“A Scout carries out suggestions the more wholeheartedly when he understands their aim.” – Sir Robert Baden-Powell.
We’ve all seen the statistics about the impact of Scouting among youth, but have you ever wondered how studies on the benefits of Scouting collect their data? They gather it from everyday folks like you and me by way of surveys. The Alamo Area Council captures information with Excel Beyond the Bell, whose focus is narrowed to youth who participate in after-school activities “Beyond the Bell.”
Nationally, data is often used by non-profit organizations like the BSA to advocate for increased access to developmental programs. Locally, the Beyond the Bell survey gives Bexar County youth access to programs they need to succeed – like Scouting. That’s where you come: As the parent or guardian of a child involved in Scouts, the Council humbly requests you take a few minutes to participate in the survey at Beyond the Bell.
How does this impact the Alamo Area Council and Scouting in San Antonio?
When foundations and companies consider where to spend their charitable funds, they’ll turn to third-party researchers, like Beyond the Bell, for nonbiased data to ensure their donations are making the biggest impact within their communities. The Council needs a large sample size to illustrate a true representation of its impact. That’s why your participation is so critical!
Ok, I’ll help, but how?
It’s easy. The first step is to obtain your child’s Student ID number. If you don’t know it already, you can request the information from your child’s school. Once you have that, go to Beyond the Bell and complete the survey for each child in your household.
Why does Beyond the Bell need my child’s Student ID number?
The ID number ensures that the data collected is as accurate as possible. Utilizing the assigned number keeps the incoming data pure, and free of duplicates or inaccurate statistics – which is why donors trust the data provided by Beyond the Bell. For participants like us, the number provides an extra layer of autonomy, protecting any specific details about our family from outside parties.
Degression, and protection of information
All collected information will go directly to Excel Beyond the Bell. It will NOT be shared with any persons or entity other than Excel Beyond the Bell – not even with us as a participating organization. Each year Excel Beyond the Bell publishes the results of its cumulative findings online. See the sample of what researchers see on the image to the right.
