Four Paths to Senior Project Success

The following was sent to EGHS parents and guardians from Ms. Gilden-

Re:  The EGHS New Senior Project

Good afternoon.

We are pleased and excited to announce that EGHS has a new Senior Project.  We completed a review of the Senior Project revamp with your children during advisory today.  For the past year, we have been speaking with students, parents, faculty members, and community members to discover how we can make the Senior Project more relevant to our students.  We believe that student choice can be the hallmark of success in any educational endeavor.  

For this reason, we offer a Senior Project experience that can be met through the student’s successful completion of one of the following four pathways:

Academic Research:  Student to engage in thesis driven, in-depth objective research in an area selected by student in consultation with a mentor/advisor leading to submission of a minimum 14 - 16 page paper and an oral presentation and defense of thesis by student before a review panel. Student passion controls the focus of research.

Example of Research focus:  

Is the death penalty a viable sentence in today’s penal system?

Student engages in the critical examination of primary and secondary sources, synthesis of arguments, writing of a research paper, and eventual defense of student’s thesis during presentation day, applying the most rigorous of EGHS learner expectations.

Career Exploration:  Student to engage in career exploration including completion of an individual career assessment, career informational interviews, minimum 20 hours of job shadow, holistic assessment of mentor business, industry report (minimum 6-10 pages) which includes research on two post- secondary schools meeting career requirements, reflections of job shadowing experience, personal resume, and cover letter.  

We strongly believe that the participation of students in a thorough career assessment and mentorship with a member of the business community can motivate and inspire the students to think about the connection between a degree and a career. This connection can assist with selecting colleges, hopefully providing the best fit the first time and make the college experience more meaningful and easier to navigate.  This exploration is an asset for the student who chooses high school to career as well.  This pathway offers real world application of all EGHS learner expectations.

New Creative Skill:  This is similar to what EGHS currently has as a Senior Project. However, the new pathway does not require a research paper and has increased minimum fieldwork hours and journal requirements.  Student will learn a new skill, which exhibits a true and extended learning stretch requiring at least 30 hours of fieldwork with a mentor.   There are reflective journals (narrative evidence of the creative process), documentation of project (example: multimedia - video/photographic evidence) through a process portfolio, and live performance of the skill before the review panel, if applicable.

Examples:  Students can explore their creative passions.  They may compose music for a jazz ensemble, choreograph and perform a dance recital, create 3-D sculpture in stone - all opportunities to demonstrate high quality and complex new skills.

Here students choose a new creative skill that is meaningful and relevant to them.  They are in the driver’s seat.

Community Service Learning:  Student must work with local community officials, non-profit organizations, agencies, businesses, and/or community members to assess what issues matter to the community, what resources may be available, and what kinds of programs or initiatives might be possible to address community needs.  Student shall develop an action plan in collaboration with community groups/non-profits directly impacted by proposed action.  Student can consider a direct action campaign, grant, or use of community resource that is not realized. Student shall evaluate whether the initiative is working and how the initiative is best sustained by suggesting strategies.  Fieldwork must be a minimum of 20 hours; 10 hours of that time must be spent shadowing a member of the organization to understand its mission, objectives, and goals, among other things.  Evidence of learning stretch will include assessments, outline of initiative, mission statement, strategies, a final action plan, a process portfolio with copies of all written documents generated and information collected by student.  

This pathway embraces a culture of engagement through student commitment to civic responsibility.  Students will create a solution to an issue and actively contribute to the quality of life in their community.  Simply put, this pathway gives students the opportunity to “be the change”!

All pathways require an oral presentation.

The New Senior Project Website can be found at this link (double click on title):       EGHS Senior Project Revamp   

    

or go to: https://sites.google.com/site/eghsseniorprojectrevamp/

Please review the entire website, particularly the introduction and handbooks.  The handbooks for the four pathways, forms, PPT guides, student checklist (due dates), and any other documents required for Senior Project are provided in the website.   If you have any questions, please contact me at joanne.gilden@gmail.com.  I look forward to working with all of your children!