Providing help for children in need earns Eagle Badge
Harlan (far right) with fellow scouts (from left) Sean Neely, Alexander Harlan, and Jason Nock.
by Lisa Crockett
Phil Harlan, a Castle Pines North (CPN) resident, is a senior at Regis Jesuit High School, where the school motto encourages students to be a “man for others.” In choosing his Eagle Scout project, Phil took these words to heart.
Harlan donated roughly 60 hours of his time to help children in need, ages three to five, from the communities of northern Aurora at Creative Options-Bemis, a Head Start preschool center run under the auspices of United Cerebral Palsy, Colorado.
“During my time there, I helped kids with reading, writing, and establishing English language skills,” said Harlan. “I saw a need for a bench on the playground at the Bemis center and I needed some inspiration for my Eagle Scout project.”
So Harlan got to work with his fellow scouts in Troop 637. Together the boys constructed a sturdy wooden bench that they then installed at the school’s playground.
Eagle Scout Phil Harlan hands out new, monogrammed backpacks to preschool students at the Creative Options-Bemis Center preschool in Aurora. In addition to collecting the backpacks and constructing a bench for the playground, Harlan spent roughly 60 hours helping preschoolers with reading, writing, and English language skills.
In addition to volunteering his time and installing the playground bench, Harlan solicited donations from friends and was able to obtain monogrammed backpacks for all of the preschool children to enjoy for many years to come.
“The students at Creative Options taught me more than I could ever learn in a classroom alone,” said Harlan. “I felt compelled to give back, especially after all the children had given to me.”
In addition to scouting, Harlan is active in his church’s youth group and plays varsity football and lacrosse.
