Reaching Eagle Scout is a journey filled with learning, leadership, and new challenges. As technology grows, many Scouts are curious about using AI tools to help with their Eagle projects. With the latest updates to the Guide to Advancement, it’s important to know exactly what’s allowed and how to use these tools responsibly. This article will walk you through what the rules say, how AI can fit into your project, and what you need to do to stay on track.
Whether you’re brainstorming ideas, writing up your proposal, or planning the details, understanding the right way to use AI can make your Eagle project experience smoother and more successful. Let’s break down what you can and can’t do, and how to make sure your project reflects your own effort and leadership every step of the way.
What the Guide to Advancement Says About AI
The Guide to Advancement 2025 brings clear guidance on technology and AI use for Scouts. Here’s what you need to know:
- AI tools like generative AI, spell checkers, and grammar checkers can help with written parts of your Eagle project.
- You must always disclose any use of AI to your reviewers or project counselors.
- The final work must be your own original effort.
- AI cannot do the project for you or replace your leadership.
These guidelines reflect Scouting America’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the Eagle Scout rank while recognizing that technology can be a useful tool when used appropriately. The key principle is transparency—being upfront about how you use these tools ensures everyone understands your actual contribution to the project.
Understanding how to properly document and organize your Eagle project work is essential, especially when incorporating technology tools. The video below walks through the complete Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook process and shows you how to maintain proper documentation throughout your project.
The video explains how to properly use the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, covering its three main parts—proposal, plan, and report. It emphasizes downloading the most current version, selecting and working with a beneficiary, and securing all required signatures before starting. Scouts are guided on keeping detailed records of hours, receipts, and photos, and on organizing everything neatly in a binder for the board of review.
Why Disclosure and Originality Matter
Scouting values honesty, leadership, and personal growth. Using AI as a helper is fine, but you need to be upfront about it. When you use AI for writing or brainstorming, let your project advisor or board know exactly how you used it. This keeps the process transparent and fair for everyone.
The Eagle Scout rank represents your ability to lead, plan, and execute a meaningful service project. While AI can assist with organizing thoughts or checking grammar, the creative vision, decision-making, and leadership must come from you. Your board of review wants to understand your thought process and see evidence of your personal growth through the project experience.
Keep a simple log or notes about when and how you use AI tools during your project. This makes it easy to remember what to disclose later and helps you reflect on your own work versus what the AI suggested. Being ruthlessly honest about which parts of your project came from your own thinking versus AI assistance demonstrates the integrity that Eagle Scouts are known for.
This documentation approach also helps you understand the relationship between your specific actions and the actual results you achieve. If you use AI to generate an initial project outline, but then spend hours researching, refining, and personalizing that outline based on your community’s needs, you can clearly explain both the AI input and your substantial original contribution.
How AI Can (and Can’t) Help With Your Eagle Project
AI serves as a tool to support your leadership and creativity, rather than replace them. Think of it as a compass or map during a backpacking trip: it helps with navigation, but you are still responsible for the hike. The key is understanding where AI can support your work and where it absolutely cannot.
Using AI effectively means being ruthlessly honest about what you’re actually trying to accomplish. If your goal is to write a clear project proposal (output), then using AI to check grammar or generate an initial outline (inputs) makes sense. But if your goal is to develop leadership skills through planning and executing a service project, then having AI do the thinking for you completely misses the point.
Appropriate Uses of AI
AI excels at organizing information and helping you get started when you’re staring at a blank page. You can use it to brainstorm potential service projects by describing your community’s needs and asking for suggestions. For example, you might prompt AI with “What are some Eagle Scout projects that help senior citizens in small towns?” and use the responses to spark your own ideas.
Grammar and spelling checks are another natural fit. AI tools can catch errors you might miss and suggest clearer ways to phrase your ideas. Like using spell-check in Microsoft Word, this tool aids your writing without replacing your own thoughts.
Research assistance is where AI really shines. You can ask it to find examples of similar projects, explain community needs data, or help you understand local regulations. Just remember that you need to verify any factual information AI provides and cite your actual sources in your final proposal.
What AI Cannot Do
The heart of the Eagle Scout project is your personal leadership development. AI cannot make the crucial decisions about what project to choose, how to approach community partners, or how to motivate your team of volunteers. These skills only develop through real experience and genuine human interaction.
Writing your final proposal or project report entirely with AI defeats the purpose of the requirement. The Eagle board wants to see your thinking, your planning process, and your reflection on what you learned. An AI-generated report tells them nothing about your growth as a leader.
Communication with mentors, sponsors, and community partners must be handled by you directly. These conversations build relationships, demonstrate your commitment, and show adults that you’re ready for increased responsibility. No AI tool can replicate the trust and credibility you build through face-to-face meetings and follow-through on your commitments.
| Task | AI Allowed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brainstorming project ideas | Yes | Use AI to generate ideas, but choose and refine them yourself |
| Writing proposal draft | Yes | AI can help draft, but you must edit and finalize |
| Checking grammar/spelling | Yes | Helpful for polishing your writing |
| Planning project timeline | Yes | AI can suggest templates, but you must adapt and own the plan |
| Leading project volunteers | No | Must be done by you, not AI |
| Communicating with sponsors | No | You must handle all key communications |
The most important thing to remember is that your Eagle project is designed to stretch your abilities and build confidence in your leadership skills. If AI is doing the challenging parts for you, you’re missing out on the growth that makes earning Eagle Scout meaningful. Use it as a helpful assistant, but make sure you’re still the one in charge of your project from start to finish.
Staying in Charge: Leadership and Personal Involvement
The heart of the Eagle project is your leadership. AI can help you get organized, but it can’t take the lead. Your role as project leader means making decisions, solving problems, and guiding your team through challenges that no algorithm can handle.
Meeting with your Scoutmaster, Eagle advisor, or project coach early in the process sets the foundation for success. These conversations help you refine your vision and identify potential roadblocks before they become major issues. Schedule these meetings in person or over video calls where you can have real back-and-forth discussions about your plans.
Take charge of planning, fundraising, and execution from day one. This means creating realistic timelines, coordinating with volunteers, and managing resources. When obstacles arise—and they will—you’ll need to adapt your approach and keep the project moving forward. Digital tools can help you track progress and communicate updates, but the decision-making stays with you.
Documenting your leadership throughout the project proves you stayed actively involved. Keep notes on major decisions you made, problems you solved, and how you guided your team. This documentation becomes crucial during your Eagle board of review when you’ll need to demonstrate specific examples of your leadership in action.
One effective approach is conducting regular “post-action audits” by asking yourself: “Did I lead well today? How could I have led better?” This simple habit transforms each project challenge into a learning opportunity and helps you grow as a leader throughout the process.
The video below shows how one Eagle Scout successfully balanced digital organization tools with hands-on project leadership:
The video explains how to choose, plan, and write a proposal for an Eagle Scout service project. It stresses the importance of leadership, securing approvals, and using the official project workbook. The creator demonstrates idea generators, safety guidelines, and tips for organizing contacts, materials, and fundraising. He also highlights time management and detailed planning to ensure projects are completed before a Scout ages out.
Remember that leadership means being present when things get difficult. When volunteers don’t show up, when materials arrive late, or when weather disrupts your timeline, your team will look to you for solutions. These moments test your leadership more than any planning document ever could.
Balancing efficiency with personal involvement requires clear boundaries about what you delegate versus what you handle directly. You can assign tasks like moving materials or setting up work areas, but decisions about project changes, safety protocols, and quality standards remain your responsibility as the project leader.
Reporting and Approval: Keeping Everything Above Board
Every Eagle project must follow official procedures for approval and reporting. The Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook is your roadmap through this process, serving as both your planning document and final report. This serves as proof that you completed a legitimate Eagle project according to Scouting America’s standards, not merely paperwork.
The workbook requires detailed documentation at every stage. You’ll describe your project idea, outline your leadership plan, and explain how you’ll measure success. When you use AI tools for writing assistance or research, clearly state this in both your proposal and final report. Write something like: “I used ChatGPT to help organize my initial project outline and Grammarly to check grammar in my final report.”
Transparency builds trust with your review board. During your project review, offer to show your AI usage log or notes. This demonstrates that you took responsibility for your work and used technology as a tool rather than a replacement for your leadership. Most boards appreciate this level of honesty and preparation.
Getting the right signatures is non-negotiable. Your project coach must sign off on your proposal before you begin any work. The beneficiary organization needs to approve both your plan and your completed project. Your Scoutmaster or designated Eagle advisor must also review and sign your documentation. Each signature represents someone who can vouch for your leadership and the project’s legitimacy.
Be ready to answer detailed questions about your decision-making process. Review boards want to understand how you solved problems, managed volunteers, and adapted when things didn’t go according to plan. They’re looking for evidence that you led the project, rather than merely participated in it. Keep notes throughout your project about challenges you faced and how you handled them.
The approval process protects both you and the Eagle Scout rank. By following these procedures, you’re joining a tradition of Scouts who earned their Eagle through legitimate leadership and service. Your documentation becomes part of your permanent Scouting record, so take the time to make it accurate and complete.
Quick Takeaways
- AI tools can be powerful helpers for your Eagle project, but they must be used transparently and responsibly. The key is understanding that artificial intelligence should enhance your leadership and planning, rather than serve as a replacement. When you use AI for writing project proposals, organizing timelines, or brainstorming solutions, you’re leveraging technology the same way you might use a calculator for budgeting or a smartphone for communication.
- The most important rule is simple: always disclose when and how you used AI tools in your project documentation. This means noting in your Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook if ChatGPT helped you draft letters, if an AI assistant organized your timeline, or if you used artificial intelligence to research your beneficiary organization. Transparency builds trust with your project coach, beneficiary, and board of review members.
- Your project must still be led and completed by you, rather than by artificial intelligence. AI can help you write a cleaner first draft of your proposal, but you need to review, edit, and take ownership of every word. It can suggest ways to organize your volunteers, but you’re the one who needs to show up, communicate clearly, and solve problems when they arise. The leadership, community impact, and personal effort requirements remain the core of every successful Eagle project.
- Using AI responsibly can actually make your project better by helping you think through details you might have missed or organize complex information more clearly. But remember, you’re always in charge. The decisions, the leadership moments, and the problem-solving that happens during your project—those experiences shape you into the leader Scouting America wants to recognize with the Eagle rank.
- After completing any major project milestone, make it a habit to conduct a brief personal audit by asking yourself: “Did I lead well? How could I have handled that situation better?” This simple reflection practice helps you turn each experience into wisdom, whether you used AI tools or not. Your growth as a leader comes from taking responsibility for your decisions and learning from both successes and challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions About AI and Eagle Scout Projects
These questions come up regularly as Scouts navigate the balance between using helpful technology and maintaining the personal leadership that makes Eagle Scout projects meaningful. The key principle is transparency—always disclose your AI use while ensuring you remain the project leader.
Can I use ChatGPT or similar AI to write my Eagle project proposal?
Yes, you can use AI tools to help draft your Eagle project proposal, but you must disclose this use in your paperwork and make sure the final work reflects your own thinking and planning. Think of AI as a writing assistant that helps you organize your thoughts, rather than as a replacement for your ideas.
The proposal must demonstrate your understanding of the project’s scope, community benefit, and leadership requirements. If you use AI to help structure your writing or check grammar, be sure to note it in your documentation. Your project coach and board of review need to see that you understand every aspect of what you’re proposing.
Remember that the proposal is where you prove you can think through complex logistics and community needs. AI can help you articulate these thoughts clearly, but the strategic thinking must come from you.
Can AI help me pick my Eagle project?
AI can absolutely help you brainstorm project ideas and explore different community needs, but the final choice and all planning decisions must be yours. You might ask AI to suggest types of community service projects or help you research local organizations that need assistance.
The project selection process is fundamentally about you identifying a genuine community need and developing the leadership skills to address it. AI can help you research and organize information, but you need to personally visit potential project sites, talk to beneficiaries, and understand the real impact your work will have.
This is where that input-output relationship becomes critical. If your input is limited to asking AI for ideas, your output won’t demonstrate the community awareness and personal investment that Eagle projects require. The real inputs are conversations with community members, site visits, and your own observations about what needs to be done.
Do I need to tell my project coach if I used AI?
Yes, always disclose any use of AI tools to your project coach, in your project paperwork, and during your board of review. This transparency protects you and helps maintain the integrity of the Eagle Scout process.
If you use AI to help structure your writing or check grammar, be sure to note it in your documentation. Your project coach can also provide better guidance when they understand all the tools you’re using. They might have suggestions for how to use AI more effectively or areas where you should rely more on personal effort.
Disclosure doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. Many successful Eagle Scouts are now using AI responsibly as part of their project management and communication strategies.
Can AI help me with fundraising or contacting sponsors?
You can use AI to draft fundraising letters, emails to potential sponsors, or thank-you notes, but you must handle all actual communication and relationship-building yourself. AI can help you write more professional correspondence, but every conversation, meeting, and follow-up must be your personal effort.
The leadership development happens through the uncomfortable but important work of asking adults for support, explaining your project’s value, and building genuine relationships with community partners. These skills require you to step up and represent your project personally, as they cannot be automated.
Use AI to help you prepare talking points or draft initial outreach emails, but make sure you’re the one making phone calls, attending meetings, and building the trust that successful fundraising requires.
Will using AI hurt my chances of project approval?
As long as you’re honest about your AI use, disclose it appropriately, and demonstrate clear personal leadership throughout your project, using AI as a tool won’t hurt your approval chances. The latest guidance recognizes that AI is becoming a normal part of how work gets done, and Scouting America wants Scouts to learn responsible technology use.
What matters most is that you can articulate your project’s goals, explain your planning decisions, and demonstrate the leadership skills you’ve developed. If AI helped you organize your thoughts or improve your writing, ensure that the thinking, planning, and execution are clearly your own.
Your board of review will focus on whether you’ve grown as a leader, served your community effectively, and learned to manage complex projects. AI use that supports these goals while maintaining your central role as project leader aligns perfectly with Eagle Scout requirements.
The key is being ruthlessly honest about what you did versus what AI did. If you can clearly explain your decision-making process, demonstrate personal growth, and show genuine community impact, your responsible use of AI tools will likely be seen as smart project management rather than a shortcut.
