Name

Topic

Description

Carrie Ambo

Filmmaking

After learning the basics of directing a film, including storyboarding, filming, and editing, I will interview and create a documentary focusing on my grandparents’ experiences in Japanese internment camps of World War II.

Perry Blankinship

Welding

I will learn the basics of welding at Pratt Fine Arts Center, then, I will make a metal sculpture for The International School.  I will also create a video about welding where I interview local artists that I will share with middle school art classes.

Katelyn Caldwell-Hogan

Directing a Play

I will participate in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Seattle Shakespeare Company, and then direct a group of International students in a production of Twelfth Night in the spring. I will work closely with a director at the Overlake School who will guide and approve all my plans for the show.

Tina Cha

Quilting

I will learn quilting techniques, examine different styles of quilting, and learn how quilting has evolved over the years. I will be teaching the skills and history of quilting to a group of special needs teenage girls. We will complete a minimum of 3 baby quilts which will then be donated to Eastside Baby Corner.

Christine Chen

Songwriting

I will take songwriting classes at Oliveland Music Studio, compose two songs, and then teach songwriting classes at Oliveland. I will also volunteer at Seattle Music Partners in order to gain some music teaching experience to prepare for teaching at Oliveland. Finally, I will host a small concert at Oliveland in which I will present my songs and my students' songs.

Su Chisebuka

Relational Aggression

I will take a child development class and study relational aggression.  I will volunteer at Eastgate Elementary in a lunch program that is designed to promote social development.  I will also teach a lesson on this topic to a group of girls at Eastgate.

Sophie Chitsaz

Animal Photography

I will be photographing cats that are up for adoption at The Humane Society using the skills attained from taking a photography class at Bellevue College.  I will also be shadowing a vet at the Cat Care Clinic.

Christian Crawford

Business

I will study business concepts that pertain to all aspects of basic business. I will then apply what I’ve learned to give presentations to various prospective students of the Washington Business Week project and a group of boy scouts to qualify them for the U.S. Business merit badge.

Ricci Crinzi

Glass Fusing

After taking classes and learning the fundamentals of glass fusing (kiln formed glass), I will create two large glass pieces that will be displayed at Pratt Fine Arts Center.  I will also be volunteering with youth art classes.

Noel de Sa e Silva

Translation and Drama Direction

I will translate, then direct, a French play after learning the basics of drama production and direction through an internship at Studio East.

Sébastien Deramat

Recording Engineering & Music Production

I will record and release a compilation CD of local teen musicians to promote Ground Zero, a local music venue and teen center.  To learn the skills necessary to complete this project I will be taking a sound engineering class and completing an internship at Ground Zero.

Sierra Fancher

Training a Guide Dog

I will be working with Guide Dogs of America, raising a guide dog and learning about legal blindness .  I will be training and socializing a potential guide dog using formal and informal training methods.

Gavin Ferris

Green Business

I will be conducting energy audits in all middle and high schools in the Bellevue School District. With these data points, I will create a presentation for the school board and various PTSA members citing specific deficiencies and urging the school board to take initiative in converting our schools to be more environmentally friendly. I will also be interning with the City of Bellevue, initiating the first annual Eastside Green Business Challenge.

Emily Fleischman

Sport Training

I will be studying the fundamentals of exercising and sports training, creating my own workout program for a 12U softball team, and tracking their progress. I will also produce a video to present to softball Little League coaches that involves all of the exercises that I taught the 12U team.

Leslie Fouche

Working with a

Non-profit

Through an internship with Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing and volunteering with Childhaven and Kirkland’s Community Supper, I will learn the fundamentals of how a non-profit works and who they serve.  I will be taking free family photos at KCS and will host a gallery of the photos and the stories behind them.

Han-Chi Fung

Nutrition

I will learn about the basics of nutrition and techniques to teach about it.  Then, I will design my own nutrition lesson, which I will teach to Somerset Elementary School students.

Colin Glenny

Athletic Injuries

I will be learning about injury prevention, identification, and rehabilitation through independent research and an internship with the athletic trainer at Interlake High School.  I will then teach a lesson to middle school students on this topic.

Carolyn Goodman

Water Pollution Prevention

 I will learn about water ecology and the main causes of water pollution by participating in a salmon incubation project and shadowing my mentor. I will also intern at Seattle Tilth to learn how to spread awareness about water pollution. Then, I will help my mentor at science fairs and do a presentation of my learning at The International School.

Barrett Hansen

Interior Design

I will take an Introduction to Interior Design class at Bellevue College.  I will create design boards for two clients (but won’t implement the designs).  Finally, I will work with Congregations for the Homeless to redesign an apartment for men who are in transition from being homeless.

Brad Hanssen

Car Detailing

After interning at Auto Salon at Leschi under the supervision and instruction of a professional detailer, I will apply my learning by teaching a class on basic car care and by teaching a group of students how to detail. I will create a business plan for a temporary detailing business that I will form where my group of students and I will be detailing customers' cars.

Michael Harman

Blogging

 I will study blogging techniques and take notes on several books about blogging.  I will apply my learning to publish a student literary and cultural journal in the form of a WordPress blog.

Juliet Heid

Art Therapy

I will learn about art therapy through individual research, observing art therapy sessions, and by attending an art therapy camp sponsored by Art With Heart. I will also be taking a Child Development class at Bellevue College to learn about the social and emotional development of children. I will then teach art lessons to kindergarten students.

Maddy Herreid

Backstage Managing & Organization

I will be working with professionals at the Bellevue Youth Theater to learn how to effectively manage the various aspects of theater production, as well as taking on the role of stage manager for the International senior project collaboration production of Twelfth Night.

Paul Heywood

Lameness in Horses

 I will shadow an equine veterinarian to learn about lameness in horses, including how it occurs, treatment, and prevention.  I will also learn from a farrier about shoeing techniques, and how improper shoeing can cause lameness.  

Sabrina Hill

Glass Blowing 

 I will be taking lessons on blowing glass pieces that I will sell at an auction to raise money for a local school's art program.  I will also be interning at a glass company that specializes in selling equipment and renting out their studio to professional glassblowers.

Neil Hones

Sports Medicine & Athletic Training

I will be learning about sports medicine and athletic training by shadowing a trainer at ATI and the athletic trainer at Newport High School.  I will also do independent research on anatomy.  I will create and present lessons for middle school students at Tyee Middle School about injury treatment and prevention.

Connor Hood

Teaching Guitar

I will teach guitar to elementary school children at Bellevue's Lake Hills Elementary using a self-designed curriculum.

Amy Iskra

Politics

 I will be interning with the Washington Bus, an organization that advocates for youth participation in politics. Then, I will learn about film and create short videos that discuss relevant issues associated with the 2012 election. Finally, I will get 18-year-old students registered to vote for the upcoming election.

Nicole Johnson

CPR and Cardiovascular Disease Awareness

 I will be interning with the HopeHeart Institute to learn about cardiovascular disease. I will help plan a week at the International School dedicated to being heart healthy. My presentation will include facts about cardiac arrest and the importance of knowing CPR, as well as showing a survivor video that I have created. 

Marissa Karpack

Auto Mechanics

 I will learn intermediate auto mechanics through independent research and a volunteer position at Auto Angels, an organization that provides free mechanic labor to low income families. I will then design and teach a series of classes for my peers about basic car maintenance

Bliss Kempton

 Teaching/Literacy

 I will be helping kindergartners develop literary fluency.  I will be seeing how autism affects the literacy skills of one kindergartner.  I will use strategies I've researched to help the student with autism, and other students, with their reading skills.

Jimmy Kirsila

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Through independent research and an internship at Puget Sound Energy, I will learn the inner workings and construction process for building a hydrogen fuel cell.   After constructing a fuel cell I will teach a high school physics class and share what I have learned.

Mitchell Krawczyk

Homophobic Bullying

 I will work to combat the harassment of students who do not fit societal norms for sexuality and gender identity by establishing a Gay-Straight Alliance chapter, promoting anti-bullying events like the Day of Silence, and leading an ad campaign for a local organization that supports queer youth.

Hannah Le

Cake Decorating

I will take classes and intern at Cupcake Royale, learning various frosting techniques to create visually appealing cakes and cupcakes.  Then, I will teach cake decorating classes.  I will hold a bake sale for my closure.

Olivia Leslie

Baking

I will be baking an average of two times a week in order to build baking and presentation skills.  I will demonstrate my skills in three ways: writing about each of the baked goods I make on a blog, teaching a focus week at International that revolves around baking, and putting on a bake sale at the end of my project, the proceeds of which will go to the non-profit group, "For the Love of Mary". 

Tessa Lombard-Henley

Cooking & Nutrition

I will be taking cooking lessons and learning about nutrition.  Then, I will be volunteering at Hopelink and giving cooking demonstrations there.  My closure will be teaching a cooking and nutrition class for teens.

Emi Lutz

Native Plants

After learning about native plant identification and ethnobotany, I will make a native plant book to be used by visitors at Lewis Creek Park. I will also teach two classes on native plants. 

Kenzie Mackie

Personal  Finance for College Students

 I will be taking a personal finance class at Bellevue College, then, teaching high school students how to prepare themselves financially for their freshman year of college.

Nick MacLean

Fund Raising

I will be hosting a fund raiser to support Ultra Rice, a technology that enhances regular rice with essential micro nutrients, to help people in developing countries that are suffering from malnutrition. I will be interning at the PATH Organization. Finally, I will help host a 5K fun run that will raise money for Ultra Rice and the International School.

Brianna McAteer

Health & Nutrition

 I will be learning the basics of health and nutrition, focusing on how it applies to children. I will then create lesson plans that put an emphasis on the benefits of living a balanced lifestyle. I will teach these lessons to a group of children at the Seattle YMCA.

Mairi McCaslin

Literacy for Elementary Students

I will work with the librarian at Ardmore Elementary to encourage reading.  I will plan and teach lessons for 4^th and 5^th grade students that encourage them to read.  I will also lead a book drive that will benefit the students at Ardmore.

Mara McDermott

Animal Advocacy

I will learn about the ethics of euthanasia through an internship at The Cat & Dog Clinic of Bellevue.  I will also be learning about dog behavior through volunteering at dog training classes at the Seattle Humane Society. 

Maria Merakov

Speech Therapy

I will learn how to teach a child to progress through their speech impediment by interning with my mentor, a speech/language therapist/pathologist at the speech/language program at Sherwood Forest and Enatai Elementaries. My mentor will match me with a student at each school that I will work with. I will end the project with a presentation to a large group of speech therapists and parents at Sherwood Forest Elementary about the impacts of speech therapy on children.

Alyna Merali

Henna Art

I will be learning about the art form of henna, its cultural and medicinal uses, and its evolution over time.  I will also learn how to apply henna.  I will create lesson plans and teach a group of girls in the Ismaili community.  I will apply henna to participants at various cultural events. 

Sophie Moore

Microfinance

I will be interning at a microfinance organization called Lumana, which specializes in micro loans and savings to women living in rural Ghana. During my internship, I will teach at various middle and high schools about Ghana and microfinance. I plan to end my project with a fundraiser that will benefit Lumana.

Mohnish Narlanka

Nutrition

I will be learning the basics of nutrition through a Bellevue College class.  I will volunteer at the Hopelink food bank to see, firsthand, the food needs in our community.  I will compile what I’ve learned to make a guidebook showing how low income households can eat a healthy diet.

Hadley Nelson

Book Binding

I will be interning at Assemble Gallery and Studio, learning to book bind.  I will learn to make several styles of books using techniques from various cultures.  I will help organized a book drive, and for my closure I will teach a book binding class for members of National Art Honor Society.

Hunter Oscar

Car Restoration

I will be interning at a car restoration shop while working independently restoring parts of a 1966 Ford Mustang.

Tomo Ota

Watershed Restoration

I will be interning at the Friends of Cedar River, learning about basic ecology, studying native species, the impact that non-native species have on the environment, and watershed restoration.  I will then plan, organize and host a restoration event.

Mason Paul

Broadcasting

I will be making six short videos with students from International on various topics, as well as studying mass communication techniques in a Bellevue College class. I will display these videos for all of International on a school wide Facebook group called "I.S. TV."

Andrea Price

Orienteering

 I will learn the fundamentals of orienteering and update the orienteering map of Eastgate Park. I will then create a course at the park and hold orienteering seminars and events at the adjacent community center.

Jeffrey Pyke

Physical Therapy

After completing "Intro to Human Systems" at Bellevue college and shadowing at Peak Spine & Sports Physical Therapy, I will teach middle school classes about sport injury prevention. 

Caroline Ramsay

Costuming

I will learning the basics of costuming through sewing lessons and an internship at a local, youth-focus theater. I will then apply my learning by costuming the Internationals School production of Twelfth Night.

Connor Reichenbach

Environmental Restoration

I will be interning with the Newcastle Weed Warriors, learning about project management and about invasive weeds.  I will be using this information to give lessons about invasive plants, and to plan two projects that deal with the removal of invasive plants.

Kara Reichenbach

Trail Restoration

I will learn the skills of trail restoration and conservation by interning at the Washington Trails Association and doing outside research. Then I will organize and host my own trail restoration event at a trail close to my home.

Nicholas Rintala

Global Health

I will partake in a research internship to gain a firsthand perspective of biological research and its impact upon society at large. I will use the knowledge and expertise I gain along the way to teach a lesson on infectious disease to an AP Environmental Science class, and to write an article for entry in the Student Bio Expo.

Debbie Roberts

Domestic  Violence Awareness

 I will be learning about the physical and emotional aspects of abuse as well as how to recognize it, the effects of it, and how to help someone who is being abused. I will take classes at DAWN a local battered women’s shelter, shadow classes at schools in the area, and volunteer at Chaya a battered women's organization that focuses on women of south-east Asian descent.

Monique Saysana

Dog Training

I will be studying dog behavior & training by volunteering and shadowing classes at The Humane Society.  Then, I will work with individual clients who are in the process of training their dog, and conduct a class at The Humane Society.

Jenny Sewell

Building Self-Esteem through Art

I will learn about building self-esteem through the arts.  I will teach children a series of art lessons at Jubilee Reach Community Center aiming to increase the students’ self-esteem and overall self-image.

Marco Simpliciano

Business of Basketball

After learning basic business concepts in a Business 101 class at Bellevue College, I will create a for-profit basketball camp business model. Using this model I will plan and implement a system of hiring employees and advertising to middle school basketball players. My plan will culminate in a one-day basketball clinic this spring.

Maddy Smith

Poetry & Lyric Writing

From poetry/songwriting professionals, I will learn skills that will help me improve my writing.  I will then teach a group of third graders similar skills, producing two songs with them.

Isaac So

Hands-On Nutrition

I will learn how to teach and develop activities that teach nutrition through hands-on activities. I will work with the Wellness Workshop program (Pacific Science Center) and the BodyWorks program (Renton Valley Medical Center) to develop my knowledge of promoting healthier choices through action. I will then teach my own curriculum that promotes a healthier lifestyle.

Rebekah Song

Anime & Watercolor

I will learn how to draw human anatomy and watercolor blending by taking classes.  I will shadow the art specialist at Stevenson Elementary School, then, will lead a group of students interested in learning about anime and watercolors.

Jon Henry Therriault

Biodiesel

I will explore the use of biodiesel as an alternative fuel, specifically, the practice of biodiesel home brewing.  I will make a biodiesel processor and intern with the NW Biodiesel Network, which does outreach to promote the use of biodiesel.

Andrew Trinh

Cardiovascular System

After researching about the cardiovascular system and how to keep it fit,  I will teach classes in the Bellevue School District about the cardiovascular system and heart health. For my closure I will be giving my lesson to International School during an all-school assembly.

Ruth Tse

Graphic Design

I will conduct research on graphic design, intern with Seattle Education Access (creating a book drive flyer and tri-fold board), and take a Photoshop class at Lake Washington Institute of Technology.  I will then design a brochure and flyer template for Chinese Information and Service Center. 

Houston Wagner

Publishing & Editing

I will study how to make a zine, and collaborate with local writers. I will apply what I learned towards creating a zine of my own, featuring the work of those authors that I had collaborated with earlier. I will also be going out into the community and explaining the purpose of zines and how people can make their own.

Sean Whitney

Hunger & Nutrition

I will be learning concepts surrounding hunger, nutrition, and how to encourage healthier eating habits.  I will teach a class based on this information. I will then organize and run a food/fund drive to benefit Food Lifeline in Shoreline.

Maury Wiederaenders

Female Homelessness

I will learn about the causes and rehabilitation of homeless women in King County through my internship with The Sophia Way, the only staffed overnight shelter for single adult women on the Eastside, and interviews with their clients.  Then, I will create a resource book focused on meeting the immediate needs of The Sophia Way clients and teach a seminar at The International School for adult women in the community about the realities of homelessness in Bellevue. 

Jane Yu

 Composting

I will learn the fundamentals of composting and how to design lesson plans through research. I will also learn how to build permanent compost bins and install them at the Jubilee Reach Community Garden. I will then teach kids and volunteers at the Jubilee Reach Community Center how to continue maintaining their compost bins after my project is complete.

Aaron Zilz

Prosthetic Running

I will learn the mechanics of running and apply what I’ve learned to runners with prosthetics.  I will train three runners and then have them enter races around Seattle.