Boy Scouts of America Troop 351 from Metro Manila opened a new children’s reading hub at Antonio A. Maceda Elementary School in Sampaloc, Manila.

The reading hub was the Eagle Scout service project of Benjamin P. Rush, an American citizen born and raised in Manila.

“Even though I have a US passport, Manila has really been my home growing up. I’ve had a fortunate upbringing with lots of educational opportunities, but living in Manila my whole life I’ve also been aware that many children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds don’t have the opportunities I do,” Rush said.

“Through this project I’m happy that our troop can provide more children in Manila with better access to quality books and reading materials, and give back to the Metro Manila community,” he added.

Rush has been involved in scouting since he was five years old. Prior to pursuing his Eagle Badge, he had previously earned the Arrow of Light, Cub Scouting’s highest award, and the Supernova Award, which recognizes superior achievements by scouts in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). He is currently the Assistant Troop Leader of Troop 351.

As part of the project, the scout troop led a drive for book donations, culminating in over 1,000 books for the new reading hub. Under the guidance of his scout mentor, Jedediah Estiandan, and his scout master Angelo Manarang, Rush also constructed bookshelves, other furniture and educational games to create a child-friendly learning environment.

The host school of Boy Scouts of America Troop 351, International School Manila, donated books and furniture for the hub. Through this initiative, Maceda School has become a new recognized service partner of ISM, creating opportunities for fundraising and material support to maintain the reading hub and address other priority needs.