Northampton Area High School junior Kyle Richards recently painted an obstacle course for Franklin Elementary School students as a part of his journey to become an Eagle Scout. In addition to planning and preparation time, the project was completed over the course of three weekends with the assistance of 10 volunteers.

Kyle became a Cub Scout at the age of 7 and crossed over into Boy Scouts at 11.

“I wanted to become an Eagle Scout after watching the older boys in my troop earn their Eagle Scout rank. I thought it would be a great achievement for me to work toward as well,” he said.

Eagle Scout is the seventh and highest ranking a Scout can earn and, therefore, requires a Scout to fulfill a variety of qualifications. These include being an active Life Scout for at least six months, demonstrating Scout spirit and earning a total of 21 merit badges. Thirteen of the 21 merit badges are specifically designated as Eagle required and include first aid, communication and physical fitness.

Becoming an Eagle Scout also requires a Scout to serve in a leadership role, attend a Scoutmaster conference, successfully complete a board review and complete a service project. More specifically, the service project must benefit an organization other than the Boy Scouts of America. The Life Scout must plan, develop and give leadership to others throughout the project.

Kyle’s mother is a kindergarten teacher at Franklin Elementary, which educates nearly 145 preschool and kindergarten students in Northampton Area School District.

He heard her mention wanting to give the students more outdoor activities. Because of this, he thought of painting an obstacle course that would provide another way for students to play outside, even if the playground is wet or snowy.

“As a former student at Franklin, I think the best part of the project was after it was finished, seeing pictures of the students enjoying it and having fun,” Kyle added.