An Eagle Scout from New Jersey built an earthquake-proof schoolhouse in a rural village in Guatemala as his Eagle Scout project. Inspired by his grandmother who taught indigenous people in Guatemala, Joseph Vitale raised over $11,000 and worked with a nonprofit to construct the school. Over two years he planned fundraising efforts, communicated with architects, and traveled to Guatemala to help build the school. The 20x80 foot schoolhouse now provides education to children in kindergarten through 6th grade.

1. Three-thousand miles away, in a small, rural village in Pakiacaj, Guatemala,
there are dozens ofchildren attending a safe, earlhquake proofschoolhouse
thanks to an Eagle Scout Project conducted by Eagle Scout Joseph Vitale of
Troop 155 in Freehold.
Joe has exlended family living in Guatemala, and had visited the country
many times, but a humanitarian tour deep into the more rural areas of the
interior of the country tn2007 set him on the path to his Eagle Project.
"After seeing first hand the extreme poverty and terrible conditions in these
areas I knew I wanted to build a new school," said Joe, whose grandmother
spent her entire life teaching indigenous Mayan people in rural Guatemalan
villages. "I wanted to honor her by doing this project, to help in some way
continue her tradition of helping these people."
The project took fwo-years of planning, fundraising and
many trips between New Jersey and Guatemala to
complete. First, he created a website to tell the story of the
village and the need for a new school. Then he enlisted the
suppoft of community organizations like the Rotary Club,
the Hispanic Association in Freehold, local papers and
friends and family to get the world out. In order to make sure the school could be built, he
worked under the auspices of the "School of the World" organization which builds schools in
rural communities. He raised more than $l 1,000 for the project.
"I used web cams to speak with the architects in Guatemala prior to our visit, discuss the
supplies that were needed, the costs involved, spreadsheets and logistics," explained Joe.
"When I was down .here, I worked alongside the volunteers, gave them guidance, helped
them measure and put up beams to support the school, dig the foundation, pour cement, bend
rebar to support the structure and invenloried materials.
Joe said there were obstacles to overcome, like no running water or electricity and a bit of a
language banier since he spoke Spanish and they spoke Qui Che a Mayan dialect. "I worked
closely with the construction manager and used the leadership skills I developed in Scouts to help
give the workers direction and make sure the project was completed. I was extremely impressed
by the work ethic of the volunteers, especially since they made all their own tools and built
everything by hand."
In November 2012 the schoolhouse was finally completed and unveiled with a major celebration by the whole village
community with Joe as the honored guest for the ribbon cutting. He dedicated the school to his grandmother with a
special plaque, and he and his family handed out 130 backpacks filled with school supplies they brought for the children.
The 20'x 80' schoolhouse was constructed with cement blocks, a metal sheeting roof and an earthquake proof
foundation. The building includes tlree 20' x 20' classrooms for children in Kindergarten through Sixth grade.
!g 4 4.
Each room also contains a small library.
"People take a lot for granted, it makes me want to
show them what other parts of the world are like.
When you see the poverty they live in, it makes you
want to do so much more," said Joe who is continuing
his relationship with the village and the school by
collecting books to fill their library. "This was more
than just an Eagle Scout project, it has beeome a
lifetime project for me."
Joe, age 16, was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in
November 2013. After high school he plans to study
engineering and architecture in college and one day
open his own firm.
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Joe and his parents with village children holding donated school supplies.