Whitman students are shown with Scout Shiraz Mehta (front right) in the new courtyard reading area.
When the 2025-’26 school year begins, students at the township’s Whitman Elementary School will have a newly refurbished courtyard.
That is thanks to Shiraz Mehta and his Eagle Scout project. A former student at Whitman, Mehta had his alma mater in mind when he chose how he would earn the Boy Scouts’ top rank. He was on hand to unveil his completed work in June, when the school hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the project.
“We are so honored that Shiraz devoted his time and energy to make Whitman a better place,” said Whitman principal Julie Hopp.
Mehta began the process in early 2024, developing ideas and coming up with a presentation for the township board of education. The project was approved by the board in September 2024 and by the Garden State Council two months later.
After a period of fundraising, Mehta got to work in March, cleaning up the corner of the courtyard and adding two mulched garden areas and multiple benches so the school can use the space as an outdoor reading area. To impart his love of geography onto the future Whitman students, Mehta painted a colorful representation of the U.S. map.
