All Scouts participating in FIT need to attend this session

Finding Independent Track (F.I.T.) is a unique program for students (high school through college) who thrive on curiosity and intellectual challenge. The program is offered by UCSF in partnership with GGAC. F.I.T. is inclusive of all students nationwide and is not limited to Scouts.

WHAT: F.I.T. is an intellectually rigorous program, that encourages interdisciplinary solutions using a) contextualization, b) critical thinking and c) student-teacher interactive and adaptive learning approaches.

Major and Minor Tracks:

• Health Sciences – Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health, Nutrition, Materials, Imaging, Physical Fitness
• Data Sciences – Statistics, Programming, Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health, Environmental Science
• Earth Sciences – Environmental Sciences, Sustainability, Soil and Water Conservation, Nature, Geology, Chemistry
• Political Sciences – American Business, American Cultures, American Heritage, American Labor, Law, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World

Students can pick up to two tracks. Combinations can be one-major only (or) two-majors (or) one-major and one-minor. Deliverables for a major track are a written report and an oral presentation on solutions to current problems. Deliverables for a minor track will be a written report on a solution to current problems within a minor track.

Merit badges will be available as an optional program to complement the chosen tracks.

WHERE: F.I.T. 2021 will be held virtually from July 10th - July 31. 

• July 10-14th: Prerequisite Sessions - general required topics for Data Sciences enthusiasts will include statistics, and for all tracks will include public speaking, reading, writing, and scholarship; 
• July 15 to Saturday, July 31 (no sessions on Sundays): will focus on instructor subject presentations for the track(s) selected, and will connect all subjects through an interdisciplinary problem-solving approach. Monday through Friday sessions run from 4 pm to 9 pm, and hikes on Saturdays.
•  Last Day: Interdisciplinary solutions will be proposed in a written and oral presentation format to the group, and merit-based research fellowships for the following fall and winter will be announced. 

Merit-based Research Fellowships will be announced for the following school year

Program cost: $450 - (Contact Sunita Ho to see about the availability of scholarships)

F.I.T. Philosophy: encourages self-awareness by nurturing an interdisciplinary mindset through real-time reflection, and contextualization of self. F.I.T. nurtures interactive learning and in-depth research to demonstrate the interconnectedness between the Earth, the Human, and our Social and Political constructs.

A few "snippets" from F.I.T. 2020 graduates

 “I really enjoyed the small class size and getting one-on-one help.  I didn’t think I would enjoy Programming.” Vincent C.  (High School Graduate of De La Salle, rising Freshman at Johns Hopkins)

 “I learned a lot and specifically enjoyed the interconnectedness between Data, Health, Earth, and Political Sciences.”  Alex J. (High School Graduate of Albany High School, rising Freshman at UCLA) 

 “I’m so glad I can participate in the F.I.T. Program, and I think it came at a perfect time in society and the world with the pandemic.” Beck M. (Junior, Acalanes High School)

 “From the Scouting perspective, F.I.T. captures the goals and objectives of the merit badge program and applies it in a real world environment which gives the scouts an added advantage in learning how to apply all of the outcomes of the Scouting program throughout their lifetimes.” Joe Barton, GGAC Director of Support Service