Extracurricular activities can range from organized sports teams to musical endeavors and theatre. In Moraga and towns across the country, the Boy Scouts of America remain a staple. The Scouts program has been around since 1910, and provides companionship, leadership, and survival skills that prepare the youth for adulthood. While initially girls were only allowed to join some troops, the Girl Scouts were created independent from the Boy Scouts in 1912. In 2025, the Boy Scouts of America was renamed to Scouting America to include their female counterparts and embrace inclusivity.
Around Moraga and Campolindo, signs can be seen advertising Eagle Scout Projects of various topics. At the Moraga Commons there are QR codes to join a beach volleyball tournament. On Instagram, there are posts promoting a collection of used sports equipment for donation. These projects, happening simultaneously for people of similar age, are the last required step in becoming an Eagle Scout (the highest rank someone can achieve in the Scouts organization).
Eagle Scout projects are leadership projects that give back to the community – whether it be local, national, or international. The process of even starting these projects requires an application and approval.
Junior Lane Massa began working on her Eagle project at the end of her sophomore year of high school. She teamed up with an organization out of Columbus, Ohio called “Leveling the Playing Field.” This organization takes used sports equipment and distributes it to underprivileged children so they are able to play sports. “I wanted my Eagle Project to be something that I actually cared about,” Massa said.
As an avid member of the Campo athletic community, Massa has played a sport every season since she began high school. Incorporating one of her passions into this project was crucial to her, driving her to collect over 900 pieces of sports equipment so other kids could enjoy the sports she loves.
In a similar athletic fashion, Junior Addison VanVeen is hosting a pay-to-play beach volleyball tournament, taking advantage of one of Moraga’s local amenities. VanVeen paired with Bay Area Crisis Nursery (BACN), focusing on a local organization that provides childcare and support for families in need. Through the volleyball tournament, VanVeen’s plan is to raise money to buy nursing necessities like diapers, formula, ointments, and much more to send to BACN. “We have one big tournament with the goal of raising $600, and we’ve already surpassed that.”
For VanVeen, who has been a part of the scouts since she was in sixth grade, completing her eagle project has been a longtime aspiration. She’s also interested in getting Eagle Palms, which are additional badges for those who have surpassed 21 badges.
While VanVeen and Massa are wrapping up their projects, Senior Colbie Freese has just finished hers, and is awaiting evaluation of her project report. “I’ve always been interested in women’s history and leadership, so I wanted my project to combine those interests.”
Freese decided to work within the Library of the Congress with a program called the Veteran’s History Project. This program provides the public with resources to interview U.S. veterans. Upon looking through their collections, Freese found that only 6% of their collections featured female veterans, when 11% of U.S. veterans are women. Determined to help close that gap, Freese invited over 10 female focused clubs to table for over 60 young girls, as well as activities that featured veterans. Over 30 volunteers helped make this celebration of female achievements possible, and Freese hopes to celebrate her Eagle Status with her troop by May of next year.
The passion and leadership that Eagle Projects provide the opportunity for students to demonstrate is one of the many benefits of Scouting America. The projects themselves are beneficial to the community and support the goals of those who took them on.
