Shawn Gagnon Completes Eagle Scout Project for ECC Preschool

NAUGATUCK, CT - Naugatuck's Early Childhood Center at Central Avenue now has a Sensory Pathway thanks to Shawn Gagnon, an Eagle Scout candidate with Boy Scout Troop 115.

In a virtual presentation during the monthly meeting of the Naugatuck Board of Education, Mr. Gagnon shared his Eagle Scout project with board members and the virtual attendees. Assistant Superintendent Melissa Cooney commented "I thought the Eagle Scout presentation was just awesome!" The slides from the presentation, complete with many photos, have been posted on the district's website.

The Scout shared his thoughts during the initial brainstorming phase of his important Eagle Scout project. First he attended an Eagle Scout Preparation Seminar back in the fall of 2019, where he learned how to do an Eagle Project and how to apply for the rank of Eagle Scout. The young man knew that he wanted to make a difference in the lives of people and attempt to make their day brighter. He also noted that some other Eagle Scouts had done sensory projects that benefited children with special needs. This prompted him to start looking for schools, school districts, and community centers in the area that would be good candidates for a sensory project.

In the end, Mr. Gagnon chose the Early Childhood Center in the Naugatuck School District to benefit from his initiative. Although the Scout is a Waterbury resident, both of his parents are Naugatuck natives. He attended elementary school at St. Francis - St. Hedwig School. His Boy Scout Troop is run out of Naugatuck where he participates in multiple community service projects in the area.

The Naugatuck Public School District proved to be the most responsive and interested organization, and since the district was interested in the project, he began to execute his Eagle Scout project in the borough with he was familiar.

Mr. Gagnon also share the actions that he made during his planning Phase. "After I had chosen Naugatuck for my project, I had to create a proposal for my troop, the beneficiary, and the area Boy Scout District to approve. Then, I had to fill out the Eagle Project Plan, where I had to plan every detail of both the construction and installation of the sensory pathway."

The stickers that would be installed on the floor of the ECC were made using a sticker software that had preset templates. He added adhesive vinyl into the sticker printer to cut out the design that he had made and peeled off the vinyl that wasn't needed. A majority of the stickers on the sensory pathway were made by Mr. Gagnon and volunteers.

The Eagle Scout candidate completed the installation of his project on September 4, 2020. The sensory pathway in the Central Avenue Early Education Center. The theme of the sensory pathway is “Camping in the Woods” that goes along with the Boy Scout theme.

After completing the Eagle Scout project, the scout had some extra money. He used these funds to purchase breathing balls for the ECC. He them completed his report about the project and is now almost done with preparations for earning the Eagle Scout Rank.

Mr. Gagnon closed his BOE presentation with a list of special thanks. "I would like to thank the Naugatuck Public School System for allowing me to complete my Eagle Project in the Central Ave. Early Education Center. I am really happy that I was able to make those students happy! I would also like to thank [Business Manager] Mrs. Rizk, [Director of Special Services] Mrs. Reichardt, and [ECC Coordinator] Ms. Rolla from Central Ave. for all of their help with the project. They helped me to get all of the information about the school I needed to complete my project."

All photos courtesy of Troop 115 Fundraisers Facebook page.