SENIOR PROJECTSENIOR PROJECT
OVERVIEW: The Senior Project—a graduation requirement--is a major independent endeavor. It is structured for you to explore your interests in a deep and meaningful way. The goals include demonstrating skills and knowledge learned in four years of high school; exploring future career or educational paths; and meeting the challenge of creating and carrying out a personally meaningful project of a depth and scope not previously experienced.
The major components of the project include:
Keep in mind that this is the final “Shabang”—your final high school opportunity to do something challenging and exciting, and something that demonstrates your ability to go out into the real world and make things happen for yourself—to plan, to make contacts, to write, to find resources, to read, to teach (and reach) others, to show diligence and flexibility in times of challenge.
THIS IS IT!!! ARE YOU READY???
FORMAT: The senior project, though based on your interests, is rooted in research, and will be driven by a guiding research question.
Within reason, these projects take many forms; for instance though the project is research driven, the form of that research depends on your chosen topic. Will you interview art dealers and visit museums, or will you read travel guides and talk to veteran travelers in order to plan a trip out West, or to Latin America. Will you interview people, conduct experiments, or read every googgled site on the poetry of 20th century Russian poets? It’s all research.
Also, the project must have a written component. For example, you may write extensive notes while visiting the UN, then synthesize your ideas in a paper; or write a series of short stories of historical fiction, based on your research of early American music and history. Will you write a play or screenplay? Keep an extensive journal?
And finally there must be a real-life component—whether it’s working in a real job (a school, business, artist community, or non-profit organization) traveling, creating art or something that reflects new knowledge, or serving a community by working in a classroom, on a farm, etc... This could be during your project, or afterward (perhaps you go to an elementary school and teach them something about your topic)
The required pieces of your project should all work together to create a meaningful and challenging project that you can then present to the public.
Senior Project Important Dates:
Friday, JANUARY 4: Part One: Initial Project Proposal Form should be in!
Friday, JANUARY 11: Parts 2 and 3: Full written proposal and parent and mentor signatures DUE!
DECEMBER-MARCH: Plan Project and research on your own time! After 2/8, you will NOT have senior seminar time to work on this (except maybe Friday: see below)
MARCH 3: Senior Seminar Fridays classes start, if needed (other days, you have usual Humanities elective); final days for pulling it all together (travel planning, research/reading, making a schedule for project days, making last minute changes, and so on). You may also use this time to work on your portfolio (time is very limited at this point!).
APRIL 18-25: Spring Vacation= Potential week for starting Project
APRIL 28-MAY 5: Official Project Days
MAY 6-8: High School Spring Trip= Potential extended time for Project
MAY 9, 12-15: Oral Exam on Project (senior, two teachers and/or board member present)
MAY 6-15: Work on preparing your Presentations
MAY 16 (Happy Birthday, Livy): Present Projects to school (parents are welcome, board members most likely present, public and the press may be invited)