The following content is sponsored by PragerU.
The Boy Scouts of America has officially changed its name to “Scouting America.” Virtually all mentions of the word “boy” have been scrubbed from the updated Scouting America website—even from the timeline detailing the organization’s 1910 founding and historical benchmarks.
Lord Baden-Powell, the original founder of the scouting movement in the early 1900s, modeled his “scouts” after the military. Today, “Scouting America” encourages boys to “do fun things together” in “a welcoming, safe environment where Scouts can freely express themselves.”
In recent years, a growing number of Americans have recognized that boys and men are facing unique challenges—social, emotional, and developmental—that deserve attention and support. Since 2010, teenage boys have experienced a 161 percent increase in depression. Last year, the American Institute for Boys and Men cited that boys are typically one grade level behind girls in English language arts. In 2023, U.S. Census Bureau data revealed that about 18 million American children—roughly one in four—live without an active father in the home.
Public schools have swapped expectations of mental toughness and commendable character for “equitable safe spaces” and “restorative discipline.” Youth sports teams hand out participation trophies in the name of “inclusivity.” The American Library Association openly endorses drag queen story hours for kids. And, until recently, military enlistment in the United States hit an all-time low.
From higher dropout rates and mental health struggles to the pressures of navigating rapidly changing societal expectations, many boys and young men are searching for guidance, connection, and purpose. One vital way to address these challenges is by investing in male-centered programs that encourage healthy masculinity, along with resources that inspire young men to be their best.
For decades, organizations like the Boy Scouts gave boys a structured environment where they could develop leadership, resilience, and a strong sense of identity. These types of programs offer more than just outdoor skills—they promote mentorship, responsibility, and service to others, which are essential ingredients for personal growth—and the exact values missing from much of today’s youth culture. Thankfully, some new organizations, like Trail Life USA, have stepped up to fill in the void that has been created by the changes to Boy Scouts of America.
Another essential part of addressing these challenges is exposing boys and young men to resources that are educational, engaging, and rooted in meaningful values. One of the most effective ways to do this is by teaching history through the lens of American exceptionalism—a legacy built by trailblazing pioneers defined by courage, self-reliance, and determination.
The institutions that once instilled grit and shaped young men into protectors of national stability no longer function as they once did. Historical risk-takers like Lewis and Clark, Daniel Boone, and John Sutter—figures who advanced our nation’s ideals during America’s formative years—are no longer required in many state education departments. What happens to a nation when it stops teaching toughness?
When young boys are not taught stories of bold leadership, sacrifice, and perseverance, they risk losing a key part of their identity and cultural inheritance. American exceptionalism, when taught properly, isn’t about arrogance—it’s about understanding the unique ideals that helped build a free and thriving nation. It’s about grit, ingenuity, and the belief that ordinary people can do extraordinary things through hard work and conviction. For boys in particular, who are often wired to seek challenge, purpose, and a sense of mission, these stories serve as more than just history—they are roadmaps.
Learning about American exceptionalism introduces boys to role models who demonstrated courage in the face of hardship, stood firm in their values, and helped shape a nation through their vision and tenacity. In a time when young men are often struggling to find meaning or are criticized for natural traits like competitiveness and assertiveness, these lessons about American trailblazers offer a constructive framework to develop responsibility, strength, and integrity.
Teaching toughness through history does not promote aggression—it cultivates discipline, perseverance, and true strength demonstrated through serving others. By reconnecting boys with the legacy of American pioneers, inventors, statesmen, and protectors, we prepare them to become capable, principled men who can lead with strength and make a difference in their communities and their country.
Trailblazers of America—a new, 7-part book series created for young readers by PragerU Kids—teaches the true stories of legendary frontiersmen like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. This action-packed series is a perfect family read aloud as it brings historical figures to life and shares the grit, fortitude, and ambition that built America. Page by page, Trailblazers offers cinematic-like visual tours of a developing nation, in visual and chronological order—from geographical discoveries to plants and animals, to weapons, to wins and losses.
Davy Crockett’s story was not one-dimensional—he navigated serious challenges and accomplished imperfect triumphs that are now omitted from too many young learners’ educational experience. For a limited time, PragerU is offering a FREE digital copy of this book in the series. Each Trailblazer installment (also available in a special hardcover compilation edition) highlights three dramatic scenes from different stages of the historical figure’s life—making it perfect for families to read aloud as an epic biopic. Trailblazers of America isn’t just for boys—it’s also valuable for girls, helping them learn the essential lessons of how the greatest country on earth was built during some of its most difficult moments in history.
We can’t afford to let these important stories fade. We can save the next generation—not only of young men, but also young women—by teaching them strength and purpose. If they are shaped by the values of American exceptionalism, they will become the generation that builds, leads, and protects what makes this nation great for generations to come.
