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Henry Kane and his map painted on the playground at South Elementary School.
Henry Kane smiles with South Elementary School Principal Brenda Lee.
Henry Kane and his map painted on the playground at South Elementary School.
Rising sophomore Henry Kane, 15, completed his Eagle Scout project, this giant mural of the United States on the playground at South Elementary School.
Henry Kane and his map painted on the playground at South Elementary School.
Henry Kane smiles with South Elementary School Principal Brenda Lee.
Henry Kane and his map painted on the playground at South Elementary School.
Rising sophomore Henry Kane, 15, completed his Eagle Scout project, this giant mural of the United States on the playground at South Elementary School.
At 15 years old, Henry Kane has completed his Eagle Scout project — a massive map of the United States painted on the playground behind South Elementary School.
“The Eagle Scout project is the culmination of the whole journey,” Kane said. “It puts to a test all of the things you have learned up to this point.”
He said he was inspired to start with support from a couple friends.
“I love geography. I love history,” he said. “I loved learning about that stuff in school.”
Kane said he wants the project to help kids get out of the classroom and engage with geography lessons.
“Connecting that kinesthetic and visual learning styles,” he explained.
Painting the map took two days, and overall the project took about 75 hours.
To make the map Kane used a massive stencil to get the shape just right, and was joined by a dozen other kids his age.
After getting the outlines, Kane said the group then started coloring in the different states.
“It was at times definitely a precision job,” he said. “It certainly was a struggle at times.”
In order to clean up certain spots, Kane said the group relied on a scrub brush attached to a drill.
He has three more years as a scout before he ages out of the program.
“I just find scouts super rewarding,” he said. “I really enjoy being in a leadership role, being able to learn how to lead folks better.”
Kane said he also finds the community service projects — like food drives and building boardwalks, for example — to be “rewarding.”
“I just really enjoy the journey of scouting,” he said.
Your guide to the summer treasures of the North of Boston and Merrimack Valley regions
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