Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Scouts are back in Lawrence schools!
Scoutreach, a program started by the Theodore Roosevelt Council in Massapequa, has been a staple of Lawrence Primary School’s activity offerings for years, and now Lawrence Elementary School students can participate too.
“The Scoutreach program reaches youth of various backgrounds, cultures and languages, living in underserved communities,” a representative from Theodore Roosevelt Council said in a news release. “Program goals include instilling stable personal values, encouraging a sense of family and community responsibility, as well as developing a degree of self-reliance based on courage, initiative and resourcefulness.”
Pamela Makaea, leader of program serving boys and girls of Lawrence school, has been a Scoutreach leader since 2018. Her involvement started when her youngest son Carson Libbey joined Cub Scouts, and she now instructs alongside him and her other son Matthew Libbey.
“My favorite part of the program is sharing scouting with the children and seeing them get excited about the curriculum we’re presenting,” Makaea said. “Whether it’s about how to be safe in the outdoors, science experiments, arts and crafts, the basic Bobcat requirement, or the many other subjects we provide, I love seeing them light up when they see and learn something new.”
Each grade level, some combined, meet a different day of the week from October to June to learn topics ranging from community involvement to first aid.
First graders on Mondays, second graders Tuesdays, third graders Wednesday and the new fourth and fifth grade sector meets on Thursdays at their respective schools.
Parents pay $10 for the nearly nine-month session, where students learn about art, science, vocabulary and play games from the end of the school day until 5 p.m.
Zoe Suarez, a Lawrence Primary School third grader, is a return scout.
“I learned to always be kind and respectful to others (last year),” Suarez said.
Thiago Romero, a participative scout, leading the pack, said that his favorite part of Scoutreach, both last year and what he’s most excited to do again, are the art projects.
“I learned how to behave and how to be helpful and how to help other people make model cars,” Romero said.
At an Oct. 16 session of Scoutreach, instructors Victoria Simao and her son Michael Simao reviewed the Scout Law with about 30 students.
They were asked to try to define vocabulary outlining the core values of scouts, including words like brave, cheerful, clean, courteous, friendly, helpful, kind, loyal, obedient and reverent.
Next, the group played a game where students interlinked their arms, based on commonalities they shared, like their favorite color or food.
“What we’re trying to do is introduce you guys to each other, because you’re going to be spending every Wednesday with each other, here,” Makaea said to the students. “Make friends, get to know people, say hello when you’re in school.”
For more information or to get involved, email robert.wolff@scouting.org.
