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101 Great Scout Service Project Ideas

Source: Aaron on Scouting / Scouting Magazine, October 9, 2015

A categorized list of service project ideas from Scouting Magazine. Covers environmental/conservation, community support, veterans/memorials, building/construction, Scouting support, and school/recreation categories. Also includes guidance on how to count and record service hours.

Anything that fulfills a community need and follows the BSA’s Guide to Safe Scouting can count for service hours. Service hours also count toward Journey to Excellence scores. This resource provides categorized project ideas across six areas — environmental, community support, veterans, building/construction, Scouting support, and school/recreation — plus guidance on recording hours for council reporting and JTE tracking.

  • Trail maintenance and restoration
  • Prairie clearing (removing invasive species)
  • Park cleanup and litter removal
  • Beach or waterway cleanup
  • Stream cleaning and restoration
  • Invasive plant species removal
  • Bio Blitz species documentation
  • Tree planting
  • Organize book and magazine drives for daycares or deployed soldiers
  • Sort food at a food bank
  • Scouting for Food door-to-door food drive
  • Assemble gift bags or care packages for people in need
  • Collect and organize supplies for foster children
  • Serve meals at a senior center or homeless shelter
  • Visit and assist at a nursing home
  • Place wreaths at cemeteries (Wreaths Across America)
  • Place flags on veterans’ graves
  • Clean and repair gravestones
  • Organize a tribute or memorial event for fallen service members
  • Assemble care packages for active-duty military
  • Build and install park benches
  • Build doghouses for animal shelters
  • Build birdhouses or bat boxes
  • Construct a little free library
  • Build or repair trail bridges
  • Paint playground murals
  • Repair gazebos, pavilions, or camp structures
  • Assemble platform tents at Scout camps
  • Help Cub Scout packs with events or pinewood derbies
  • Improve and maintain local Scout camp facilities
  • Volunteer at district events, Scout shows, or training courses
  • Serve as a den chief
  • Install or maintain an orienteering course
  • Support school carnival or community fair events
  • Build or restore playground equipment
  • Hours include both youth and adult participants
  • Record: date, project description, location/beneficiary, number of participants, total hours
  • Report to unit leadership for submission to council and JTE tracking
Resource Used InType
Community Service CoordinatorRole

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