Boy Scout project serves Chilean schoolchildren

Question: What takes 1,500 lbs. of books, $1,300 in postage, 23 Chilean teachers, hundreds of schoolchildren and two corporations? Answer: The community service project of one determined Boy Scout.

Ben Lewis, a 17-year-old senior at the Charter School in Wilmington, DE, heard about a group of Chilean English teachers through his mother, a teacher at Wilson Elementary School. The teachers were visiting the school as part of their teacher-training program at the English Language Institute. Ben, who is trying to qualify for the rank of Eagle Scout, needed an idea to complete his eighth year of scout service.

Ben Lewis (photo inset) and friends collected books to send to schoolchildren in Chile.

The project he launched resulted in plenty of service—more than 100 hours worth—and an even larger number of grateful children in Chile. The project’s goal—to get English books into the hands of young English learners in Chile—was simple enough. But the process, which began in early winter 2004 and lasted several months, was a bit more complicated.

First, Ben wrote a letter to every school in the Christina School District asking for donations of children’s books. Another letter went to corporations soliciting money for mailing costs. Next, Ben recruited family, friends and seven of his fellow scouts from Troop 56 to do the legwork. They collected books from schools, separated the books into giant mailbags, filled each bag to its 66 lb. capacity, slapped on a label and sent the books off to Chile. Each bag contained a letter from Lewis introducing himself and explaining the project. Finally, Lewis wrote up a 35-page report and submitted it to his troop leaders.

“They were incredulous at how well the project went,” said Lewis, “but I couldn’t have done it without the help of so many people.”

He is especially grateful to the Chilean teachers and their students. Even though he never met any of the teachers who received the books, he has received many letters of thanks from them, telling him of the impact the books have made on their students and on their classrooms.