Your Eagle Scout project is the culmination of every lesson you’ve learned throughout your years in Scouting. Do you already have your own project in mind? If not, don’t worry! In this article, I’ll be giving you 99 of the most awesome Eagle Scout project ideas that I’ve ever come across. 🙂
Remember though, the best Eagle project idea is one that helps a cause you’re passionate about. This could be your church, your school, your chartered organization, or even a local community center. Eagle Projects provide a great way to help organizations that might not have the budget to make the improvements themselves!
From personal experience, another great question to ask yourself when considering Eagle project ideas is, “can I help multiple causes at once?” For example, I wanted to support my old elementary school, but I also wanted to help students learn about sustainability. The solution? My Eagle project was to build a native garden and worm bins to help the elementary students learn about conservation!
Keeping these tips in mind, here are a few examples Eagle Scout Projects that I’ve helped with, firsthand, plus some other cool ones that I found online (names not included to protect anonymity). Hopefully, the ideas below will inspire you to come up with an awesome Eagle Scout Project of your own!
(Have a few awesome Eagle project ideas but need to raise some money first? I’ve got you covered with my complete guide to Eagle Scout Project Fundraising. In it, you’ll find tips, methods, and a simplified version of the official BSA fundraising guidelines!)
Construction Eagle Project Ideas
- Worked with the city to create and install ADA-compliant playground equipment for disabled children.
- Used recycled tires to create dog beds for an animal shelter.
- Planned, created, and installed a stone fire pit+cooking area in a community park. Added a mechanism that allows users to easily lower and raise their food to affect cooking temperature.
- Cleaned litter and built a Gazebo near the entrance of a nature park.
- Installed a permanent flagpole for campsite gatherings.
- Set up an irrigation system to keep a church grounds watered.
- Built an informational kiosk for a local park.
- Created a secure, community equipment shed for local sports teams to safely store their large gear.
- Helped to plan and build a child-safe play area at a local community center.
- Created a “textbook exchange hub” box at a local college so that graduates could donate their books to needier students.
- Built a tiny house on an inexpensive plot of land to provide shelter for a veteran in need.
- Planned and constructed a number of bee houses for a state park.
- Designed and hand-built a sanctuary enclosure for bald eagles.
- Worked with their local school to build an outdoor amphitheater for socially-distanced student gatherings.
- Cataloged the artwork at a medical center and created a website showcasing their research so that patients, families, and staff could learn more and better enjoy artwork hanging throughout.
Tip From An Eagle Scout: If you still don’t have an idea in mind, consider helping your chartered organization! This could be the school, church, firehouse, etc. that you hold your meetings at. By supporting the group that supports your troop, your project will benefit Scouting as well! If you decide to go this route, talk to your Scoutmaster — I’m sure they’ll be happy to connect you with someone.
- Created a wooden “community service kit” stocked with all the supplies needed to care for the homeless. Donated it to the chartered organization so that they’d have the ability to easily provide assistance.
- Built a hydroponics system to help a school to grow plants and teach their students about sustainable growing methods.
- Connected with high-profile community members and created a 30-minute long audio tour for people who were walking a local trail. Hosted that audio file online so that it could be accessed by anyone.
- Created, renovated, and beautified an outdoor performance area.
- Built a shaded canopy in a local community area.
- Working together with rangers, and following safety regulations, created a hanging ropes course at a state park.
- Planned and created a large chessboard with pieces for a community area.
- Worked with the state to build a bridge over a dangerous portion of a trail.
- Created an ‘oversized chair’ to improve a Summer camp’s atmosphere.
- Painted hopscotch areas at a local elementary school.
- Created habitats for endangered mammals like in the Mammal Study merit badge.
- Created a sealed display case to showcase community awards.
- Built a ‘robotics kit’ so that any student interested in building their own robots could have all the tools to immediately get started.
- Created outdoor workout equipment so community members could do bodyweight exercises.
- Built a fishpond at a community center for the elderly. Installed benches and a shaded area for visitors to relax.
Tip From An Eagle Scout: The key to a successful Eagle project is to plan, develop, and provide leadership to others. This means you should really be getting creative. After all, your project is a reflection of you! Once you come up with your first project idea, don’t be afraid to put your own unique twist on it. Try to go beyond what’s expected!
Conservation and Restoration Eagle Project Ideas
- Planted vegetation along a water line to serve as an animal habitat and to reduce erosion from water runoff.
- Created a retaining wall around school areas that typically see heavy dirt runoff from heavy rains.
- Restored a campsite by improving fire pits, filling holes, and repairing tent setup boxes.
- Created placards and informational signs to educate the public on native species.
- Restored a historic cemetery by clearing debris, replacing decorations, and respectfully cleaning headstones.
- Organized groups to mow lawns for elderly community neighbors.
- Re-painted parking lines for a daycare parking lot where the owners couldn’t afford to make the improvements, themselves.
- Planned and planted a garden to help preserve native plant species.
- Built birdboxes and feeders to help protect avian populations.
- Constructed and installed donation bins to promote communal sustainability.
- Built a boardwalk to limit trail erosion and reduce hiker injuries.
- Offered free house painting services in low-income communities.
- Cleaned and restored bus shelters by removing litter and graffiti.
- Added wheelchair ramps to a cabin in a state park so that disabled visitors could book stays.
- Created a habitat for endangered monarch butterflies by planting an acre of milkweed seeds over available land.
Tip From An Eagle Scout: When holding your Eagle project, be sure to document everything. Man hours, volunteers in attendance, projects you’ve completed, challenges, and anything else. You’ll be so happy that you did! Not only is this info great for referencing in your project report and Eagle rank application, but it can also help you out when writing your Eagle Scout College Admissions Essay!
Service and Event Eagle Project Ideas
- Collected and sent over 30 musical instruments to a school in Cameroon so that they’d be able to continue their music program.
- Organized a food drive by flyering outside of a supermarket. Then, distributed collected provisions to needy families.
- Planned, publicized, and led a bone-marrow donation drive.
- Collected and installed emergency trauma kits for classrooms.
- Hosted a pinewood derby at a children’s hospital.
- Created public service announcements teaching people the importance of financial literacy, as detailed in the Personal Management merit badge.
- Led an animal shelter supply drive.
- Collected supplies to distribute at a homeless shelter.
- Built a quiet and peaceful memorial area at a veterans center.
- Ran a toy donation drive for disabled children, across multiple schools.
- Installed AED machines in community centers to prepare for possible emergencies.
- Collected and respectfully retired old, unused American flags.
- Organized a school music group to play at an old folks’ home or hospital.
- Collected donations and distributed high-quality duffle bags to foster children.
- Led hands-on activities during Autism Awareness day to spread important information to the community.
Tip From An Eagle Scout: Communication with your project beneficiary is key to success. In fact, it’s often better to over-communicate so that you have everything documented via email. Often, details can get mixed up, so by being very clear on your plans and what you intend to accomplish, you’ll avoid making any big mistakes or going against your beneficiary’s wishes!
Socially-Distanced Covid-19 Eagle Project Ideas
- Created educational videos online by requesting other Scouts to film their own footage. Then, edited it all together, afterward.
- Led a donation drive to collect and distribute protective equipment and face masks.
- Planned, mapped out, and installed a socially-distanced disc golf course for a local church to be used for family games.
- Created a historical walking tour of their area, showcasing the locations of 5 churches with pipe organs.
- Built benches at home and installed them on trailheads.
- Sent letters to COVID-19 patients and fundraised goods for them to use in recovery.
- Fundraised and replaced a broken sign at a community park.
- Organized long-term penpal and care package exchanges with veterans.
- Created a small ‘free book library’ near a local park
- Cleaned litter from hard-to-reach areas of a hiking trail (safely and with supervision, of course)
- Fundraised supplies and created a memorial for the unborn. Installed it at a local church.
- Working with the school and specific teachers, built an outdoor classroom for a school.
- Collected life stories from numerous veterans, turned them into a printed book, and then gave them to the original storytellers.
Tip From An Eagle Scout: When coordinating volunteers for your Eagle project, always be thinking of how you can make the process more enjoyable for them. Can you create 2 groups and have an exciting competition? Are there activities that certain volunteers would really excel in? Taking these factors into account is critical when leading your Eagle project.
- Created outdoor easels, at home, and donated them to local churches for the children to use.
- Created COVID-19 informational signs helping community members to understand the importance of mask-wearing.
- Filmed and shared social distancing PSAs.
- Fundraised and sent out care packages for teachers to more easily host their remote lessons (or just for relaxation).
- Collected and installed lifesaving equipment stations at local beaches.
- Built and installed shelving to hold theatre props.
- Installed socially-distanced seating at a popular outdoor local area.
- Researched and created historic markers for downtown buildings.
- Organized a donation drive to send soldiers care packages.
- Assembled and delivered 100 emergency lockdown kits to local high schools for when sessions resume.
- Created, edited, and distributed a Scout musical to share with old folks to instill a sense of hope and community.
- Digitized a large amount of open-source historical sheet music and uploaded it to the internet so that the work wouldn’t be lost.
Tip From An Eagle Scout: Most of all, enjoy the process of completing your Eagle project! Years later, I still remember the feeling of accomplishment I felt, coordinating volunteers, and seeing my project idea slowly become a reality. Although the work is tough, savor it! What you’re doing is worthwhile, and you’ll only be able to do it once, so make it count.
More Construction-Based Eagle Project Ideas
- With the help of knowledgeable historians, built an authentic native dwelling space to serve as an exhibit for a community nature center.
- Created a safe archery range that followed all local and state regulations.
- Built and installed helmet and bat boxes at a baseball field.
- Planed, built, and installed safety barriers for an animal shelter.
- Improved wheelchair accessibility at local parks throughout their community.
- Created and installed signage, encouraging community members to visit a local old folks home.
- Built stairs, railings, and a park bench along a hiking trail.
- Restriped basketball and volleyball courts.
- Created a dock at a community fishing area so that older fishermen could continue their hobby without wading out into cold waters.
- Built and manned a flag retirement collection box.
- Renovated a bobcat enclosure. Added new furnishings so that the bobcats would be more comfortable.
- Restored a community baseball field and fundraised to have new equipment ready for when the bases need replacement in the future.
- Created a beautiful and educational sensory path for children with autism.
- Created and installed a mobile charging station to be used in the event of a disaster.
Below is one final bonus idea, by video (2:08), that I just had to include. Garrett’s Eagle project was incredible, and if you need a bit of inspiration, you’ll have to see it for yourself!
Conclusion
Your Eagle project provides you with an opportunity to impact a cause you’re passionate about. Make it count! I hope that you’ve found this article helpful and that it’s inspired you to think up an incredible Eagle project of your own! If you’d like to see even more project ideas, check out the Boys Life Eagle Project Showcase.
Also, if you’re planning on earning Eagle, I’d highly recommend checking out my article on the Value and Benefits of Earning Your Eagle Rank. Knowing some of the benefits you’ll gain from Scouting will help you push through tough times (and I guarantee there will be some). However, I made it, and you will too! I’m rooting for you. 🙂