Scout Tackling Technology and Education for Eagle Project

Eagle Scout candidate Brandon Beerup has a special goal: He wants to give at least six low-income students netbooks and teach them how to use them.

Helping those six students would cost $1,800.

Helping 12 would cost $3,600.

And the project may be the genesis for so much more, Kendall County Food Pantry Executive Director Maria Spaeth said.

“I would love to see someone else say, ‘It’s so cool; it made a difference in that kid’s life,’” and decided to expand or continue the effort, Spaeth said.

Beerup, of Bristol Troop #34, brainstormed ideas for his Eagle Scout project with Spaeth, who has helped several Eagle Scout candidates with various projects. This idea sparked after the pair considered the connection between low standardized test scores, income level and access to technology.

“The kids who are more computer-literate … those are the kids who are much more successful in school,” Spaeth said.

Beerup, 16, is trying to raise the money for the project now so he can teach a computer class for students yet this school year. He said he’s planning to teach the selected students (whose families are food pantry clients) about Internet safety, Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. Then, the children would take the netbooks home.

“I am hoping they will be able to use these for their homework since a lot of things in school are based on using a computer,” Beerup wrote in an e-mail. “It's necessary for students to have one at their disposal.”

Beerup was a Cub Scout before becoming a Boy Scout in sixth grade. He’s advanced to the Life Scout rank and has about two years left to complete the requirements for Eagle Scout. He’s completed a total of 21 merit badges.

Donations for the project are tax deductible. They may be sent to the , 1204 Deer Street, Yorkville, IL 60560. On the memo section of the check, please note: Brandon Beerup/Eagle Scout.

His fundraising deadline is Friday.