10 Creative Eagle Scout Service Project Ideas
Eagle Scout service projects are the most rewarding part of most Eagle Scouts’ journey. They create fantastic chances to use and showcase Scouting practice and training in meaningful ways. Not only are you able to help others, but you also have an opportunity to create a project that can benefit the local community for generations to come.
The hardest thing about service projects is coming up with original Eagle Scout projects and fundraising ideas, which is why we’ve searched for the most inspiring ones.
Eagle Scout Project Ideas
Some of the best Eagle Scout projects are very simple. However, the one thing they all have in common is a significant impact on the community or environment.
Birdhouses
Take a walk at a regional park and spot places where you could place new birdhouses for various species. Build solid, beautiful birdhouses and install them in the park. Moreover, gift some of them to the people who live nearby so they can accommodate bird families, too.
Book Drives
Book drives are some of the most popular Eagle project ideas because they are incredibly useful for the community and very rewarding for the Scouts. Run a book drive to create a free library in nonprofit organizations and centers such as orphanages, hospitals, or homes for battered women.
Bus Stop Shelters
Most praised Boy Scouts of America Eagle projects include repairing or upgrading your local community. For example, if your city has a mass transit bus system, you can ask the city works department if any bus station shelters need repair or replacement.
The Best Eagle Scout Projects Ideas
If you’re looking for Boy Scout Eagle project ideas that are rewarding but also incredibly fun to execute, consider the following:
Sports Camp
Athletic Eagle Scouts can plan and create a sports camp for kids who couldn’t otherwise afford to attend. A project like this can change those children’s lives. The possibilities are endless—football, soccer, basketball, tennis, lacrosse, or swimming. Enlist volunteers to help you teach, and let the fun begin.
Greenhouse
Visit local shelters to check for spots where you could create a greenhouse. Big or small, this will enable the residents to grow their own food and enjoy the relaxing mini chores that come with gardening. With a hammer, some nails, lumber, and some old windows or door frames, you can have the time of your life building a greenhouse with your fellow Scouts.
Dog Park
Contact your local recreational department to talk about preparing the land for a new dog park. You can work with them to prepare the ground and make trails and signs. The park should also include dog training equipment, toys, waste bag stations, and benches for owners. The joy that comes with seeing happy paws, having fun in the park you created, and playing with the toys you left for them is priceless.
Easy Eagle Scout Projects Ideas
You can create cool Eagle Scout projects even without spending weeks on their execution.
Paint a Playground
Turn your school playground into a fun, exciting spot. Paint colorful squares on the ground for a game of hopscotch, or paint a map of your state. You can even draw lines for four-square games, giant tic-tac-toe, or perhaps an entire chessboard. The students will be grateful for these games for years to come.
Build a simple a book box
Is there a book box in your community? If not, maybe there should be. The idea is straightforward—everyone can donate a book to the box, and anyone can borrow one to read. With a tiny library in a box, you will encourage local children to read more and improve your community’s literacy.
Extremely Creative Eagle Scout Project Ideas
If you’re searching for unique Eagle Scout projects for inspiration, you may enjoy these two gems:
- In Shawnee, Kansas, a Scout created a program for the National World War I Museum. As part of the program, Scouts went through special training and acted as tour facilitators during the weekends for any groups that visited the museum.
- Scout Blake Deaton and his volunteers recently built two sensory rooms specifically designed for children with autism. Ever since being a Cub Scout, Blake has wanted his Eagle Scout service project to help children and students with special needs. He won the 2017 Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award for his magnificent project.
Project Fundraising and How to Cover Expenses
The most common funding options for Eagle Scout projects have traditionally included car washes, garage sales, bake sales, and donations from friends and family. Also, some organizations provide funding for Eagle projects through partnerships or a donation of materials.
Before you’re able to start fundraising efforts, you’ll need to have the Eagle Scout service project workbook filled out and your project proposal approved by your unit leader, project beneficiary, and local Council. If your fundraising activities are unique to Scouting or are going to be a major project, you may also have to submit the Eagle Scout Service Project Fundraising Application for Council approval. Scouting.org has a set of complete fundraising guidelines and downloadable forms to confirm you are fulfilling official BSA requirements. Remember, bring your Scoutmaster in early on the approval process to ensure your project proposal and your troop’s goals are in line!
Ensure that in your fundraising application, you specify what sort of project fundraising and fundraising events you will be doing (be it popcorn sales, summer camp activities, or asking local businesses like Lowe’s or Home Depot for sponsorship).
Your Scout troop, Scout’s unit, and chartered organization will also need to be aware of any fundraising to help keep it in compliance with the Boy Scouts of America.
If your fundraising efforts result in excess funds, talk with your unit leader and local Council to determine how best to return or allocate those funds.
Use GoFundMe to Fund your Eagle Scout Project
It’s easy and quick to create a GoFundMe profile. Simply share your story, explain your project proposal, set a goal, and send your crowdfunding page along to friends, family, and local supporters.
Be sure to include information in your online fundraiser about the Eagle Scout candidate, a merit badge journey, and how this work fits with the requirements for the Eagle Scout rank. Share your fundraiser with Scout’s parents to increase its visibility and gain generous support from your local network.
You may decide to construct a dog park, lead a first aid training, or build a community service center. Whatever you choose, project fundraising can be simplified by approaching an online fundraising platform such as GoFundMe or not-for-profit technology that personalizes experiences for each organization. Read more about our online fundraising options, or get started and begin raising funds for your great project idea today.