1. Senior Projects An Introduction to an Alternative Senior Experience

2. What are Senior Projects?  An opportunity to undertake one of the following in an independent study format:  an internship  a creative endeavor  an intellectual pursuit  a community service experience

3. Examples of Senior Projects

4. Artistic Projects  Write your own symphony and perform it for a live audience  Create a mural or painting on a wall of the school, in the style of your favorite painter  Write your own version of the “great American novel,” or at least a few chapters!  Choreograph and direct a dance routine to be performed for a live audience

5. Internships Work directly with an accountant or marketing executive from Sony Shadow a doctor or nurse at a local hospital Intern at a physical therapy clinic Work with animals at a veterinarian’s office or an animal hospital Coach a children’s team and take a coaching course to get your certification Work with a teacher to plan lessons and teach a class in a subject area of your choice

6. Intellectual Pursuits Conduct an experiment to test the validity of the “five minute rule” Study the effects of various prescription drugs and their abuse in our society Explore the Patriot Act and its infringement (or not) on our civil liberties

7. Community Service Organize a blood drive in our school Create a walk for charity, in conjunction with the local towns and police departments Receive training and work for a helpline for people in crisis Volunteer with the ambulance or fire corps and create a new program for the organization

8. When do Senior Projects take place?  During fourth marking period, usually in place of English class  Research paper required as part of the process  Independent work on the project begins during third marking period

9. Grading Procedures  Grade on the project takes the place of fourth MP and final exam grade  Grades determined by mentor and by faculty committees, which view and evaluate student presentations  Rubrics will be distributed to participants ahead of time

10. Who helps me?! You select a faculty member to act as your mentor You will attend weekly meetings with mentor to reflect, plan, and adjust the flow of your project Mattessich & Koehler act as support people throughout the process as well

11. Who’s in Charge? Mrs. Mattessich – Senior Projects Program Coordinator Ms. Koehler – Internship Coordinator

12. What Are My Next Steps? Think about a topic of interest Decide if you want to participate in the program If you are serious about completing a project, ask a faculty member to mentor you Wait for Mattessich & Koehler to visit your English class at the end of October to distribute paperwork