Grand Canyon Council Eagle Scout Receives National Service Territory Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award
Nicholas Leitch, Troop 301 in Mesa, completed his Eagle Project in February of 2023. He created 1800 Diabetic Emergency Kits to be delivered to forty health offices of elementary schools in Mesa, Arizona that had at least one type one diabetic in attendance. The kits included fast-acting sugar candy packets, a natural food scale to help count carbs and a laminated card for teachers/aides showing the symptoms of blood sugar highs and lows that a type one diabetic might experience.
Nicholas had this to say about his project: “As a type one diabetic myself, I know the struggles that elementary-age type one diabetics can have when it comes to both getting proper insulin-to-carb ratios for classroom celebrations or parties as well as the time away from the classroom when experiencing a blood sugar low. These kits will allow for teachers and aides to be prepared for an emergent onset of a low blood sugar reading. It will also assist the health officer to be able to obtain a reasonably accurate carb count for better insulin dosing for a type one diabetic.”
What is the Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award ?
The National Eagle Scout Association established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award (ESSPY) to recognize valuable service of an exceptional nature by an Eagle Scout candidate to a religious institution, school, community or other entity through completion of an Eagle Scout project.
Selection of recipients begins at the local level and is conducted through the Council NESA committee. The Council NESA committee selects a recipient for their respective Council from the list of submitted nominations and then forwards a worthy candidate to the National Eagle Scout Association for National Service Territory consideration.
The recipient of the national award is then selected from among territory recipients by a special selection committee of the National Eagle Scout Association.
Evaluation Criterion
- Project planning required
- Effort to develop the project, taking into account challenges overcome by the Scout such as disability or limited financial capacity for the Scout/Scout family
- Extent and character of leadership provided by the Scout
- Extent of achievement of the planned result, including changes or modifications required to complete the project
- Project’s impact on the beneficiary and/or on the community at large
- Did the project create a “leverage opportunity” where it inspires others to expand the scope of the project
- Originality of the project
- Scope of the work
- Time and materials contributed
- Level of skill employed to complete the project
