BonnerSprings.com

Editor’s note: This continues a series that follows a group of Bonner Springs High School students as they work throughout the year on their senior projects, which are required for graduation.

Winter break at Bonner Springs High School has arrived and, with it, a milestone for seniors when it comes to their senior projects.

Just before leaving for break, seniors reached the midpoint in their projects and, according to faculty project coordinator Nancy Baker, almost every student is meeting expectations.

“I feel like, for the most part, the students are right on track,” Baker said. “They’re taking responsibility and we’ve got some fantastic projects to show for it.”

So far, the students have had a conference with teachers, gotten parental consent, signed a document of commitment and turned in four forms that summarize their project to this point. But beyond the specific forms that are due, Baker said she had seen students truly take an interest in their projects.

Baker said senior projects allowed students to explore careers, community service or other activities they may have always been interested in but never had the time or resources to pursue.

Since 1999, Baker said senior projects had been a way for the school to help students explore and make connections in their community. With an original goal of qualifying for a project-based curriculum, Baker said the projects had evolved into real-life lessons.

“We want them to step out of their comfort zone,” Baker said. “We want them to be more prepared for when they’re out of high school and transition that into real-world skills.”

Many students discover a career they never thought of or change their mind about a career they always dreamed about. Most students, Baker said, leave their senior year having made a connection with the community that reaches beyond the walls of the high school.

One of the requirements of a senior project is to have a community member — it can’t be a family member or a faculty member of BSHS — be a mentor throughout the project. This person is supposed to be knowledgeable about the project’s topic but also give the student a different perspective on Bonner Springs, Baker said.

At the end of the project, the students are required to go through a board review process, where they must stand in front of a panel of community members and explain what they learned and how it has effected their lives.

“When they stand up there, you can see the realization on their face,” Baker said. “You can see how proud they are. It’s really cool to see them realize that themselves, without us having to tell them.”

Baker has been involved with senior projects from the beginning, and every year she said she saw the same scenario played out. Students start out not giving the projects much thought but, by the end, they discover more than they ever expected.

“In one year they learn so much,” Baker said. “It really is a rewarding experience for the kids.”

The projects will be due Feb. 25, and then the students will have March and April to prepare their presentations for the review board, which is May 8.

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