If you ask most Eagle Scouts they will say that the most rewarding part of their journey toward Eagle was their Eagle Scout Service Project.

It is a chance to put all of one’s Scouting training into practice in a BIG WAY!

Not only will you be helping others, but you may even have the chance to put together a project that will last for many generations. 

Unfortunately, project ideas don’t always present themselves so clearly. That makes Requirement 5  the task that slows down more aspiring Eagles than any other. 

Requirement #5

Plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project

No surprise, then that your fellow Scouters called Requirement 5 THE toughest Eagle requirement in Scouting.

This is why it is important to find a project that you are truly passionate about. More than 2 million Eagle projects have already been completed, so don’t worry if the idea has been done before.

Here is what the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook says on that subject:

“Your project doesn’t have to be original, but it could be. It might be construction, conservation, or remodeling project, or it could be the presentation of an event with a worthwhile purpose.

Conversations with your unit leader, teachers, your religious leader, or the leaders of various community organizations can also uncover ideas.

In any case, be sure the project presents a challenge that requires leadership, but also something that you can do with unskilled helpers, and within a reasonable period of time.”

Still, stumped?

We’ve gathered a collection of ideas that can help

Ideas from other Scouters

Here is a sample:

• My son in Troop 581 collected 5,000 shoes for the Haitian people in the January 2010 earthquake. He collaborated with Soles 4 Souls to send forth the shoes for shipment. (J.R.)
• Planters designed and built for a Center for the Blind. Filled with plants that could be identified by touch or scent — labeled in English and Braille. (M.J.)
• A Scout from Troop 123 in Shawnee, Kan., designed and set up a program at the National World War I Museum where Scouts were trained and used as tour facilitators on weekends for groups visiting the museum. (T.J.)
• One boy in our troop built shelving for a charity thrift store in the community. (H.S.)
• My Eagle Scout project was to build a playground structure for the town of Foxboro, Mass. It was seen as over-ambitious back then, but now when I go back there with my kids (who are Scouts) and they look up and see what they can achieve it was all worth it. (D.F.)
• My son is building a dog park for our community. (L.B.)
• A Scout from Troop 357 in Dodgeville, Wis., worked with his church to design and build an outdoor altar for the parish in the church’s cemetery so the congregation can have an outdoor mass on occasions like Memorial Day. (J.L.)
• On the heels of the 2008 economic downturn, my oldest son put on a free weeklong football camp for 120 kids of low-income parents. (M.K.)

Also, check out the Eagle Project Showcase.

Project Idea Generator - a handy tool

You can use a “decision tree” that will help guide you to a project idea based on answers to some simple questions about your interests and passions.

Special thanks to Scouter, Dave Harkins, who created this tool to help Life Scouts come up with ideas for Eagle Scout projects as one of his Wood Badge ticket items.