Req 14 — Teaching with EDGE

You’ve learned an enormous amount about first aid. Now you’ll pass some of it on — because teaching is one of the deepest forms of learning, and because the whole point of first aid knowledge is for it to spread.

The EDGE Method

EDGE is Scouting’s framework for teaching any practical skill. It stands for:

EDGE isn’t just a mnemonic — it reflects a genuine learning progression. You can’t guide someone through a skill they haven’t seen demonstrated, and you can’t enable someone who hasn’t been guided. The order matters.

Choosing Your Skill or Topic

You have tremendous flexibility here. Some questions to help you choose:

• What skill from this badge was most surprising or impactful for you?
• What skill would be most immediately useful to the people you’re teaching?
• What can you credibly demonstrate with the equipment you have?

Strong choices for a family teaching session:

• Hands-only CPR (demonstrated on a training mannequin or pillow)
• Using an EpiPen (or demonstrated with a trainer device)
• Stopping severe bleeding with direct pressure and improvised dressing
• Removing a tick properly
• Recognizing and responding to a stroke (FAST)

Strong choices for a Scout teaching session:

• Building a personal first aid kit and demonstrating each item
• Applying an ankle wrap or arm sling
• Scene assessment and the 3 C’s
• Recognizing shock

Building Your Teaching Plan

Work through the four EDGE steps as a written or verbal plan before discussing with your counselor.

Explain Phase (2–3 minutes)

• What is this skill? Give a clear, one-sentence definition.
• Why does it matter? Give a specific, realistic scenario where this skill would be used.
• What will the learner be able to do by the end? Make it concrete: “By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to apply an arm sling that safely immobilizes the arm for transport.”

Demonstrate Phase (3–5 minutes)

• Do the skill yourself, slowly, talking through each step.
• Emphasize the parts that are counterintuitive or easy to get wrong.
• Demonstrate any equipment needed.

Guide Phase (5–10 minutes)

• Have the learner try the skill while you’re right there.
• Give specific, actionable feedback: not “that’s wrong” but “bring your elbow a little higher — there, that’s the position.”
• Let them make small mistakes and correct; this is better for learning than jumping in immediately.

Enable Phase (3–5 minutes)

• Have the learner perform the skill independently while you observe without coaching.
• Evaluate: did they get the key steps right? Are there safety-critical errors?
• Give brief, positive reinforcement of what worked, and identify one specific improvement.

Tips for an Effective Teaching Session

Discussing Your Plan with Your Counselor

Before you teach, talk through your plan. Your counselor will likely ask:

• Why did you choose this skill?
• Who are you teaching it to, and why is this appropriate for that audience?
• Walk me through your EDGE plan step by step.
• What materials do you need?
• How will you know if the learner successfully learned the skill?

After you’ve taught it, come back to your counselor with a brief report on how it went — what worked, what didn’t, and what you’d do differently next time.

Almost there — the final requirement gives you a chance to explore emergency medicine as a possible career or life path.