This is the 38th in an occasional series where I share Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos. See the complete collection here and submit your own here.
COVID-19 note: Photos were taken during different stages of the pandemic (or even before the pandemic began) and may not necessarily depict current coronavirus-related health and safety protocols.
To fully understand the impact Eagle Scout projects have on communities, you need to see to believe. That’s why I asked to see Eagle Scout project before-and-after photos — the same photos prospective Eagles are asked to include with their post-project report.
The latest batch of 15 projects includes a labyrinth prayer garden, a 24-foot pedestrian bridge and an ambitious effort to prevent erosion on Galveston Bay’s shoreline.
We’ve also included a non-construction project: A Scout in New Jersey led an effort to fill duffel bags with essentials and donate them to homeless families and individuals. That’s a reminder that those “nontraditional” projects have a home in this series, too.
What’s great is that you can multiply each individual act of stupendous service by roughly 50,000. That’s how many Eagle Scout projects get completed every single year.
TIP: Click/tap and drag the slider below each image to see the change.
Caleb from Virginia
Who: Caleb, Troop 1396, Lake Ridge, Va.
What: Caleb and his helpers built a memorial to honor those who created the Alternative Paths Learning School in Fairfax, Va. At the school, children with special needs learn life and academic skills, and the school needed a way to remember those who helped establish the school. They built a bench, added a memorial plaque, restored a walkway, cleaned and moved many of the existing plants, and added mulch.
Louie from New York
Who: Louie, Troop 81, Selkirk, N.Y.
What: Louie and his helpers restored veteran markers at a local cemetery. The markers identifying veterans from the Civil War, War of 1812, Revolutionary War and World War I were in bad shape. Louie and his helpers designed new markers for these wars and had them cut out from stainless steel using his father’s plasma cutter. They also provided a place to attach flags to the markers.
Casey from Indiana
Who: Casey, Troop 262G, Fortville, Ind.
What: Casey and her helpers built a 24-foot pedestrian bridge to make it easier to access a cemetery located in a local park.
Jamie from Pennsylvania
Who: Jamie, Troop 155, Trucksville, Pa.
What: Jamie and his helpers restored a butterfly garden at a local state park.
Elijah from New Jersey
Who: Elijah, Troop 187, Hamburg, N.J.
What: Elijah and his helpers built a memorial for people lost to COVID-19 at the recreational town park. The memorial includes a “pink heartbreaker” redbud tree, a bench and a plaque surrounded by a rock garden with a walking path leading up to it.
Isaiah from Virginia
Who: Isaiah, Troop 698, Burke Va.
What: Isaiah and his helpers built and installed Little Free Libraries at four elementary schools in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia.
William from Arizona
Who: William, Troop 853, Mesa, Ariz.
What: William and his helpers restored the picnic tables and serving railing for his high school science club’s greenhouse complex.
Ryan from Texas
Who: Ryan, Troop 554, League City, Texas
What: Ryan and his helpers harvested and planted about 1,800 stalks of cordgrass (also known as spartina) on Galveston Bay’s shoreline, helping to restore the habitat and prevent erosion.
Ian from Washington
Who: Ian, Troop 16, Mukilteo, Wash.
What: Ian and his helpers designed and built an informational kiosk for the main path at McCollum Park Athletic Field in Everett, Wash.
Josh from Pennsylvania
Who: Josh, Troop 456, Sinking Spring, Pa.
What: Josh and his helpers built an 8-by-12-foot garden shed for Opportunity House, a homeless shelter in Reading, Pa. The facility can use it to store garden tools and supplies for its 56-plot garden.
Ezra from Wisconsin
Who: Ezra, Troop 1022, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
What: Ezra and his helpers created a 110-foot raised boardwalk through a muddy portion of a nature preserve trail system at Crossroads at Big Creek, a 200-acre nature preserve. They also designed and built a boot-cleaning station to ensure that invasive species don’t enter the preserve.
Eric from Oklahoma
Who: Eric, Troop 99, Owasso, Okla.
What: Eric and his helpers installed three flagpoles, added a concrete paver path, expanded a garden and added new shrubs for Porta Caeli House, a Catholic Charities hospice in Tulsa, Okla. Eric led a fundraising effort that resulted in a donation of $2,480 in leftover funds to Catholic Charities.
Thomas from New Jersey
Who: Thomas, Troop 116, Millstone Township, N.J.
What: Thomas and his helpers designed, landscaped and installed a bird sanctuary at his local church. It contains six crosses with a birdhouse on each end of the arm, a church birdhouse, a birdbath, and two benches enclosed in a heart-shaped, rock-filled area outlined with concrete pavers.
Vincenzo from New Jersey
Who: Vincenzo, Troop 85, Andover-Newton, N.J.
What: Vincenzo and his helpers fundraised, collected, organized and managed the production of 50 duffel bags filled with necessities for individuals, families and veterans. The project, “Bags for Hope,” helped Family Promise of Sussex County, an organization that aids individuals and families who are in a homeless crisis. Each bag includes a sheet set, blanket, pillow, towel, bag of toiletries, a stuffed toy and several pairs of socks.
Jake from New York
Who: Jake, Troop 230, Oceanside, N.Y.
What: Jake and his helpers created a labyrinth prayer garden at St Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church to help parishioners reflect on life’s journey — a journey that inevitably contains many twists and turns.
See more in this series
Like these? See more here.
Learn how to submit your photos
Have before-and-after Eagle photos I can use in future posts? Go here to learn how to send them to me.
Read about the Adams award for outstanding Eagle projects
The Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award honors outstanding Eagle projects.
An Eagle Scout, their parents, or any registered BSA volunteer (with the Eagle Scout’s permission) may submit the Eagle Scout service project for consideration by filling out the nomination form found here.
Visit the Scout Life Eagle Project Showcase
For even more great Eagle projects, check out the Scout Life Eagle Project Showcase.
Photo credits
All photos are courtesy of each aspiring Eagle Scout and their family.
Support the Eagle Scout Scholarship Fund
Contribute to the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) Scholarship Fund. Donations to this fund go directly to providing scholarships to deserving Eagle Scouts, allowing them to pursue their dreams and make a positive impact on the world.
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