Senior Project
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Evaluation Procedure for Senior Project 2011-2012
What is the Senior Project? The Senior Project is an opportunity for seniors to engage in an extended, hands-on, full-time capstone activity or career exploration.
Why do we set aside time for senior projects? In the normal school year, the intense schedule of classes, co-curriculars, and extra-curriculars makes it difficult for students to engage in in-depth explorations of the world in which we live. As seniors will have decided what the next fall holds for them and are looking to the future, May is a good time to begin to step away from day to day life at Laurel and make use of the skills and knowledge acquired during their years here. We believe that students who use this time to engage in a meaningful project benefit greatly from the opportunity to do so.
What is the time line? How much time do we have? Students are given time out of school from May 14th until May 30th for their projects. They are expected to spend a minimum of 10 days participating in project work, which allows for flexibility for students who will still be taking AP tests from May 14th until May 18th. Students are expected to devote 6 hours a day for each of those 10 or more days. Students have been able to choose their hours if their work setting is not the traditional 8 AM to 5 PM operation. For example, if a senior decides to work at an entertainment venue, she may choose to work at night and on the weekends. As long as the total adds up to the 6 hours per day for the required 10 or more days, those types of arrangements are fine.
What can I do? There are many different types of projects that seniors may choose to engage in. The project is meant to serve as a capstone event, an opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired during the Laurel educational process or to explore a potential career field that the sutdent intends to pursue. They include:
Exploring a career opportunity (academic)
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Accomplishing a long-anticipated goal (academic, artistic, or athletic)
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Volunteering service in the community (academic, artistic, or athletic)
The most important qualities for a senior project are that it is first and foremost an capstone endeavor which demonstrates skills and knowledge acquired at Laurel, and that it will result in a clearly defined, tangible end product.
What are the qualifications for being able to participate in Senior Project? Only seniors in good standing are permitted to undertake a Senior Project. To be considered a senior in good standing, a senior must:
have completed all graduation requirements, including 50 hours of approved community service
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have fulfilled all college related obligations – including writing to each college she will not be attending and notifying the college guidance office where she will be attending
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have met all Senior Project deadlines
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have no failures or incompletes – NO work outstanding
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have all teachers sign-off on completed, passing course work by the end of the day on Friday, May 4, 2012
What will I do if I do not receive final approval on May 4, 2012? Students will come to school during regular school hours (8:00 AM to 3:18 PM) during finals week to complete missing work and/or make up failures. If she has not made up the incomplete work by the end of finals week, the student will be assigned a project within the school – perhaps in the library or in the Development Office – to be attempted when the incomplete work is finished. You will not be permitted to start your proposed project late in order to complete missing work – you will finish the work and then do a project or engage in May Term courses, at our discression, here at Laurel.
What do I do now? The first step is to research different prospective projects. Take time to think about the following questions: What aspects of your Laurel education have been particularly important to you? How have you always wanted to extend these aspects of your education beyond the classroom? How can you show what you have learned while here at Laurel? Think about whether you could shape an exploration of any of these topics into a 10 or more day project.
Next, consider what you want the final, tangible result of your project to be. If it is an extension of some academic area, what tangible result can you produce to show what your Laurel knowledge and skills have allowed you to do? If it is a major work or works of art, how will the tangible results illustrate knowledge and skills achieved on your part? If you are utilizing the skills and knowledge acquired in Laurel athletics, what tangible product can you produce to highlight what you have learned?
Once you decide what type of project you want to undertake, you need to find an outside sponsor. Contact someone in the area that you are interested in and inquire as to whether or not he/she will take you on as a student intern. You may not use an immediate family member as your outside sponsor – this is an opportunity to make a different kind of connection for a learning experience and personal growth.
You will also be assigned a faculty project advisor after your project is approved. You will schedule weekly check-ins with your faculty project advisor throughout your project. He/she will hear your final presentation and read your final paper. He/she will also take a look at your journal. (More to come on journal and final paper!)
Once you have an outside sponsor, you need to write up a proposal.
What needs to be included in the proposal?
First, the proposal should look professional. It will be copied and sent to your outside sponsor. So, it must be typed and it must be well-written.
The proposal must include the following information:
Student name
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Project Title
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Outside sponsor(s)
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Outside agency(ies) for which you will work (if applicable)
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Mailing address, email address, and phone number of the outside sponsor(s) and agency(ies)
The actual proposal must address the following in paragraph form:
What is the project you are proposing? What will the tangible result of your project be?
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Why do you want to engage in this project? What are the skills and knowledge acquired at Laurel that will be demonstrated through this project?
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What are the specific activities you will engage in throughout your project?
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How will you prepare for this project in the next few months?
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How will you get to and from your project? What hours will you spend at your project site?
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A listing of the dates between May 14th and May 30th, indicating which days you will be working on your project. You must be specific as this is where a determination will be made regarding whether or not your proposal meets the time commitment required for a senior project.
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The following statement must appear above your signature and the signature of your outside sponsor: I AGREE TO FULFILL THE TERMS OF THIS PROJECT AS OUTLINED BY ME, MY OUTSIDE SPONSOR(S), AND MY FACULTY PROJECT ADVISOR. I CERTIFY THAT THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THIS PROJECT PROPOSAL IS ACCURATE. IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES, I WILL PROVIDE NEW INFORMATION TO ALL PARTIES INVOLVED.
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Student signature and date
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Outside sponsor(s) signature(s) and date
When is the proposal due? Who do I give it to? The proposal is due on or before Friday, March 2nd, 2012 to Mrs. Purcell or Mrs. Stephens. The Senior Project Committee will meet to review the proposals and reply with an approval or denial by March 9th. If your initial proposal is denied, you may revise it based on the committee’s comments and turn in a revised proposal by March 12th. A final review will then be done by the committee and students will receive a final decision by March 16th.
What happens if I do not get my proposal in on time? You will not be permitted to choose a project. You will be assigned to May Term courses or a project at Laurel, at our discression.
When will I know if my proposal is accepted? The Senior Project Committee will put a memo in your mailbox stating whether or not your proposal is accepted and approved.
Will this all be worth it in the end? YES! The Senior Project can (and hopefully will) be an exceptional experience. It will be worth it!
SENIOR PROJECTS 2011-2012
| January 2012 | Information is given to seniors with explanation and emphasis on deadlines; same information goes home to parents of Seniors |
| March 2, 2012 | Proposals are DUE to Mrs. Purcell or Mrs. Stephens |
| March 5-9, 2012 | Proposals are read by the Senior Project Committee, are either accepted (letter of acceptance sent to student) or denied (letter describing necessary changes for acceptance sent to senior) |
| March 12, 2012 | Revised proposals are DUE to Mrs. Purcell or Mrs. Stephens |
| March 12-16, 2012 | Revised proposals are read by the Senior Project Committee, are either accepted (letter of acceptance are sent to student) or denied (letter describing why project denied) |
| March 16, 2012 | List of seniors who will be undertaking a senior project finalized; all other Seniors will be enrolled in May Term courses or a project at Laurel |
| April 2012 | Letters sent to all participating agencies/entities with informational letter, a copy of the student's proposal as submitted and intended dates |
| April 2012 (late) | Students check in with agency/entity to find out additional details (i.e. time, parking, what to wear, duties, etc.) - make sure agency/entity knows any dates students may not be in attendance due to APs, sports, etc. |
| May 4, 2012 | Students get final written approval from all teachers. Student must have no failures or incompletes in order to participate in their planned project. |
| May 14-May 30 | Senior Project (seniors will report back to faculty advisors at least twice) |
| May 23, 2012 | Senior Class Meeting (7:45 am – 8:45 am; prom ticket sales) |
| May 30, 2012 | Writing day - students finish their written reports |
| May 31- June 1, 2012 | Senior Project presentations to Faculty Project Advisors, date dependent upon the schedule of the Advisor. |
| TBD | Mandatory practice for Last Chapel/Commencement – 8:30 am Selected Senior Project presentations to all seniors and juniors (mandatory) – 11:00 am |
Students will be evaluated by their agencies/entities via an online questionnaire at the conclusion of the projects.
