By Erin Kelley
Assistant Editor
There are two pieces of advice this year’s seniors have regarding senior projects: don’t procrastinate and do something you can enjoy.
Students at Silverton High School are required to do a senior project, but there is no typical senior project. This year, senior projects have included a study day, a flu vaccination clinic, directing plays and more.
Senior Projects are used at Silverton High School to meet the Career Related Learning Experience, which is a requirement for graduation in Oregon.
The project includes at least 15 hours of work, five research summaries, mentor evaluations, a presentation, a portfolio and a paper.
Senior Riley Aman organized a study day for the Advanced Placement U.S. History test last year as a junior, along with then junior Jasmine Akiyama Kim. The two wrote study questions and set-up a game similar to Jeopardy to quiz their classmates. Aman now believes it was helpful to have done his senior project early.
“It has taken a huge burden off my already busy schedule and made my already busy life this year much easier,” Aman said.
With the permission of their advisory group teacher, students are allowed to start on their projects during their junior year, working on their project hours or research summaries.
“I strongly recommend that future students do their senior project early. It was a little extra work at the time but now I have that much more time to focus on finishing my senior year well,” Aman said.
For her senior project, senior Kara Cox helped to set-up a flu clinic. Cox helped set up the dates, times, and locations where the community would be able to get vaccinations against the flu, calling and visiting all the schools in the Silver Falls School District. From there, a nurse went to each of the schools to offer flu shots and mists to the kids.
“I liked being able to work with the entire Silver Falls School District and the district office,” Cox said.
Senior Katie Klaus is now working on her senior project, preparing to send out letters to her classmates right before prom. The goal of the letter is to warn against the dangers of drunk driving, in the hopes of preventing students from drinking and driving. Klaus looks forward to the fact that some kids might be influenced by the letter.
“The whole process is very motivational,” Klaus said.
Through these senior projects, students are expected to gain a wide range of skills in order to prepare them for the workplace or for higher education.
“The only things that are consistent is that the students are working on projects that benefit the community in a career field that they are interested in,” said Jennifer Hannan, who coordinates the senior projects at the high school.
Students are expected to gain such skills as self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, responsible decision making and relationship skills.
When asked for advice for future students, seniors agreed on one main criterion
“Don’t waste your time, or anyone else’s. Do something fun,” Cox said.
