Project Ideas for Eagle Scouts

INTRODUCTION

One of the most interesting and exciting requirements for achieving the Eagle Scout rank is the required Eagle service project. The key to the successful project is LEADERSHIP as the Scout expands his service to others, outside of Scouting, in the community.

In choosing a service project there are a few basic guidelines. Service to Scouting is not acceptable. Therefore, doing repair work at a Scout camp would not be approved. Projects to raise money to be turned over to an agency is also unacceptable. However, the Scout can raise money to help pay for any supplies or equipment needed to fulfill his project.

This list is a compilation of Eagle Scout service projects completed by Scouts from around the country. The projects included herein are not presented in full detail. They are simply short descriptions of a few selected projects that proved to be successful. Though we offer ideas, the planning of each project must be done by the individual candidate. Use this booklet, come up with your idea, develop your plan, get it approved and enjoy the warm feeling that comes with serving others.

The following Eagle Service Projects are by no means the only ones that can be or have been used. There are many more. However, the examples are provided to show the Life Scout the type, range and diversity of service projects. It is hoped that this list will help give some ideas and point in the direction of a project that will work well for the Life Scout. There are still many more ideas just waiting for an Eagle candidate to identify.

1. Built twelve bookcases, held book drive to fill shelves and obtained mini-blinds for recreation room at rehabilitation center.
2. Built 30' retaining wall with native rocks to control erosion and water bar for same purpose on trail in mountain preserve.
3. Printed a pamphlet on conserving energy in the home and distributed to 10,000 homes.
4. Constructed fifteen mechanical safety belt demonstrators for department of public safety.
5. Refurbished home for church to be used by homeless family.
6. Restored refrigerated boxcar for railway museum,
7. Refinished and refurbished piano used by high school choir.
8. Built and assembled weaving loom for senior citizens' home.
9. Initiated and completed two mile nature trail exhibiting over 75 different types of trees, plants and some wildlife. In addition, a dozen birdhouses were constructed to use as a sanctuary over winter and nesting seasons.
10. Compiled listing of practical everyday ways average household can cut pollution and keep environment clean without elaborate or expensive preparation. Distributed to approximately 3,000 homes.
11. Recorded Sunday morning services and had tapes ready to carry to shut-ins in church's membership. Tapes were catalogued for reuse.
12. Designed and built outdoor chapel for church.
13. Built electrically-operated game board to teach Bible facts to children at church.
14. Rejuvenated cemetery by cleaning grounds, refurbishing headstones and locating graves. Documented approximately 300 buried there and secured cemetery's inclusion in state historical directory.
15. Made Braille games for blind school students. Included handmade game boards, playing pieces, etc., that could be identified by touch.
16. Made insect collection for school of children with disabilities by collecting, identifying and giving location of where insects could be found and constructing glass case 10 keep them in.
17. Reviewed and interpreted approximately 50 filmstrips, catalogued them and revised filing system. Constructed storage facility for films, strips and recordings.
18. Built storage bins for nursery schools.
19. Constructed six mobile, wooden planters, approximately 6'x20"x2', for use by children confined to wheelchairs at Shriner's Hospital.
20. Installed bench for resting place for joggers, cleared away brush and overgrowth blocking scenic view and installed three posts to keep off-road vehicles from further ruining the area.
21. Inventoried all church property, transferred inventory to computer catalogue, marked each piece of property with catalogue number and secret mark and made video log, including commentary, showing each piece with its number and mark.
22. Made and posted warning signs and location markers on trail for hikers, dug irrigation ditches and laid rock and logs to route stagnant water off trail and into river, installed terracing steps made of flat boards and installed rope handrails to help ensure safety of hikers.
23. Financed, repaired and painted community building.
24. Constructed footbridge linking school and homes.
25. Built reading loft for kindergarten class freeing up valuable floor space.
26. Removed gravel border along both sides of 60' walk causing potential hazards to elderly walkers at church and replaced with fill and sod.
27. Built clothes racks for Christmas Benevolence program, providing place to store coats and other donated clothing items until distribution.
28. Canvassed and recorded placement of smoke detectors in 20-block neighborhood, distributed literature demonstrating need, requirement for placement and need to maintain fresh batteries and reported results to fire department.
29. Organized sorting and moving of 346 cases of food from local church to Red Cross.
30. Removed seven trees and brush and cleared area for Red Cross building project. Cut up trees and delivered wood to those in need for heating their homes.
31. Developed Clothes Away by collecting and sorting 5,000 pounds of clothing and giving it away to 300 families at National Guard Armory.
32. Landscaped Red Cross chapter house in preparation for open house.
33. Designed and constructed 3' x 5' Capital Campaign Plaque for contributors to construction of Red Cross addition.
34. Developed clothing, food and toy giveaway for Christmas. Distributed food to 641 families, toys to 441 families and clothing to 395 families in county.
35. Built new disaster room for Red Cross by making 300 hygiene kits and made available supplies such as cups, coffee pots, beverage carriers and food transporters. (Note: Thirty days after completion, a disaster forced 365 families out of their homes and all went well because of the preparations.)
36. Researched and laid out historical hike around city in cooperation with historical society.
37. Laid out and built outdoor environment and nature study course with assistance of educational naturalist.
38. Leveled and repaired twenty fitness stations in cooperation with parks and recreation division.
39. Designed, built and installed two map signs identifying ball diamonds and playing fields at sports complex.
40. Placed brick memorial and landscaped site in honor of tornado victims. Planted 75 trees and 200 bushes along with cement walk and three flag poles.
41. Plowed and cultivated garden area for use by nursing home patients. Secured and donated basic equipment needs.
42. Constructed cabinets and shelves and secured library of written materials for cardiac rehabilitation center to provide education on measures and actions to help prevent strokes and heart attacks.
43. Developed plan to revitalize live oak trees on church grounds aerating compacted soil, adding topsoil and creating physical barriers of attractive posts and rope fences around the trees.
44. Worked with three local hospitals and local ham radio club to give children an opportunity to talk to Santa Claus. Fellow Scouts visited children's rooms with treats and portable CB-type radio.
45. Established system where young children were fingerprinted and photographed. Gave records to parents at no cost.
46. Mulched and landscaped parking area and installed handicapped ramp to access picnic area.
47. Collected and sorted clothing and sports equipment for juvenile detention center. Also made Easter baskets for juveniles.
48. Built small park on unused wooded lot in neighborhood by cleaning and covering two walking paths with wood chips, installing wire spool tables and utility pole stools, clearing play yard, building sand box and erecting entrance sign.
49. Organized program for teenagers to assist elderly city residents with springtime household projects by coordinating with senior center, Scout troop, church youth group and high school friends.
50. Rebuilt outdoor chapel at church camp by removing and replacing all benches, adding railings to pathway and stairs and building new lectern and cross.
51. Built horseshoe pitching court for residents of senior housing complex and set up party to unveil the new courts.
52. Collected, repaired, painted and delivered toys to toy lending library and Salvation Army for distribution to needy children.
53. Made cabins and facilities at a youth camp wheelchair accessible.
54. Erected poles as road guards around driveway at church for playground and day-care.
55. Taped Bible stories for the blind.
56. Built storage facilities for Sunday School materials.
57. Built outdoor picnic tables for school.
58. Constructed wooden compasses for demonstration and teaching at school.
59. Obtained donated first-aid supplies from pharmaceutical companies and local druggists/ Made 150 first aid kits to be distributed to churches, agency buses, homes, and institutions.
60. Designed and built flower beds for main entrance of school.
61. Repainted bleachers at school.
62. Cleaned beachfront property of church and built fire pit and benches.
63. Reconstructed and landscaped steep bank behind sanctuary.
64. Inventoried, catalogued and transferred church music to new room.
65. Planned, organized and built softball field for church.
66. Rebuilt cabin and constructed outhouse at church camp.
67. Organized and set up fall festival and spaghetti dinner for church.
68. Renovated church gymnasium.
69. Organized monthly activities at nursing home.
70. Obtained organized groups to sponsor needy families.
71. Surveyed all street signs and reported all missing or damaged signs.
72. Reshingled roofs on nature center buildings.
73. Mapped sector of wildlife refuge to determine contents of area.
74. Beautified concession stand, fixed field drainage and made grounds presentable for community athletic association.
75. Constructed kiosk to be used as message center, map holder and information center at community park.
76. Created wildlife kits for state game and parks to be used in school system. Cleaned skulls of herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, rebuilt and set up in kits.
77. Flag holders were obtained and installed in front of local businesses so that the flag may be displayed on national holidays.
78. Cleared unused building at Boy's Club and constructed indoor archery range.
79. Cleared and widened fire road in forest to make it passable. In addition, instituted flood control plan which included cementing rocks to redirect water and installing new control pipes.
80. Wrote newspaper for children's ward in hospital.
81. Planned and built brick fireplace for local park.
82. Refurbished war memorial and cleaned and beautified area for special Memorial Day services.
83. Refurbished area and constructed two new horseshoe pits and bocce ball court for senior citizens of chartered organization.
84. Constructed, set up and manned Founder's Day booth about seat belt safety.
85. Increased awareness of parents and parents-to-be of importance of reading to their' children and influence reading can have on their future success.
86. Scouts planned and put on a Christmas party for a local orphanage.
87. Designed and built prayer garden for church recreation center,
88. Provided "Old Fashioned Halloween" by safe door-to-door trick or treat, including canvassing neighborhood, advertising in elementary schools, training escorts and providing parents with listings.
89. Fully landscaped new home for Habitat for Humanity.
90. Built large playhouse (6'x12'x8') for day-care and after-school program run for homeless 1~1 community.
91. Built cage (15'x30'xl2) for local raptor center to be used for rehabilitation and display of large birds of prey.
92. Organized after-school tutorial program in low income neighborhood.
93. Built outdoor weather station and installed professional grade weather equipment at elementary school.
94. Cleared quarter mile trail through wilderness area of city park and built two wooden bridges to cross small creek.
95. Constructed activity shelter at local school.
96. Organized and painted inside of church.
97. Tore down dilapidated garage at historic home.
98. Conducted food drive for families of military personnel stationed in Persian Gulf.
99. Erected enclosure, following specifications provided by the zoo, for display and safekeeping of birds.
100. Removed and returned all furniture and equipment at school while asbestos was removed.
101. Mapped, marked and cleared trail at church camp and built bench on trail.
102. Prepared area and planted trees supplied by park authority.
103. Built doghouses of various sizes for homeless animals being kept at various animal shelters.
104. Constructed two bridges along trail at nature center.
105. Built play gyms for schools, Ronald McDonald House, etc.
106. Scouts visited an inner city orphanage and trained the kids in outdoor and camping skills. The project culminated with a campout.
107. Provided camping equipment and camping training for youth with disabilities.
108. Rebuilt historical bus stop for seniors.
109. Conducted blanket and coat drive for Salvation Army.
110. Built trophy case for grade school.
111. Landscaped nonprofit agency facilities.
112. Recruited and trained coaches and participants for Junior Olympics.
113. Helped develop environmental learning center at community college.
114. Built campfire bowl and stage at city park.
115. Built equipment for Special Olympics.
116. Planted shade trees in municipal park after consulting with state forestry experts to select best varieties for climate. Assigned scouts to care for seedlings for one year.
117. Collected 1,200 books and periodicals and established library at care center.
118. Arranged for periodic visitations by Cubs and Scouts to senior citizens complex to read and run errands for residents.
119. Built birdhouses to be placed outside windows at nursing homes.
120. Created flower parks with welcome signs at entrances to communities.
121. Built signs for interpretative trails telling history of area.
122. Landscaped public library.
123. Provided home yard safety training for children.
124. Scouts contacted 15 local churches and provided transportation for elderly or disabled parishioners.
125. Researched information valuable to the elderly as well as local businesses who offer senior citizen discounts. Published and distributed a pamphlet with such information.
126. Created azalea garden and meditation bench for chartered organization.
127. Solved rainwater problem in children's playground of chartered organization.
128. Poured cement pads for air conditioning unit and patio of chartered organization.
129. Arranged and catalogued many various corporate gifts in warehouse facility of Children's Museum.
130. Collected books for center attempting to improve child and adult literacy among residents of city housing projects.
131. Cleared wheelchair and visually impaired trail, built and installed wooden distance markers, made tape recording about park and donated with cassette recorder and headphones to the park ranger and made and posted flyers on bulletin boards about availability of tape.
132. Designed, produced and distributed 1,500 copies of brochure that boosted attendance at boys club.
133. Distributed window stickers to mark homes with young children and handicapped and senior citizens for emergency personnel.
134. Made major repairs to community owned park cabin.
135. Constructed hands-on exhibit on static electricity for children's museum.
136. Constructed study carrels at nonprofit adult literacy organization.
137. Built memorial park in name of an accident victim.
138. Donated 72 blankets to national support group for Vietnam veterans.
139. Distributed water conservation pamphlets and installed 576 water-saving devices donated by a public utility.
140. Built ten bat "hotels" for state park to help keep insects in check.
141. Built and distributed lap boards with tablets of writing paper and holders for pens and envelopes to rest homes and VA hospital and with coloring books and crayons for children's hospital.
142. Provided baby clothing and supplies and baby furniture to shelter for unwed mothers.
143. Provided toys and books to Ronald McDonald House.
144. Rebuilt and painted a stage for a local church. Also painted all rooms and outdoor fence.
145. Recycled prescription eyeglasses by collecting door-to-door and at collection boxes in churches, donating to optometrist for reconditioning and sending to organizations in undeveloped countries for free distribution to needy persons.
146. Procured materials and constructed six motorized wheelchairs for permanent use by home for the elderly.
147. Constructed park benches at bus stops for the elderly.
148. Assisted in relocating and sorting children's card catalog and assembled book cans, kick stools and bookends for new public library.
149. Collected school supplies to be distributed through food bank to help people who were unemployed or in need.