Guidelines
MAY PROJECT GUIDELINES
Overview: As a graduation requirement, each senior will design a program that benefits the local community. The project will take place in a new setting with new people, and it should expose the senior to new experiences and encourage the development of new skills. Some students may opt to complement the community-benefit portion of the project with an internship. When designing the project, seniors should keep the following in mind:
All seniors must: a) complete a May Project b) participate in a seminar, and c) submit a journal or complete blog entries (approx. 1500 words) that record and reflect upon their experiences. Journals/blogs are due to May Project advisors at the start of the May Project Seminar, Wednesday, June 2 at 4:00pm. No senior will receive a diploma until all of these requirements are completed.
All academic graduation requirements must be met and detention hours served before seniors may begin May Projects.
Seniors are expected to be available to work on their projects during school hours for the entire month of May. Students will not be excused from May Project hours for personal travel, employment, or other non-Burroughs activities. May Project hours should total 100 hours. The May Project board will deduct hours from that total for AP exams, Burroughs athletics, or other school requirements that meet on weekdays during May (see the May Project Hours Grid handout). Seniors may petition the May Project board for credit for hours on a school-approved independent athletic activity (IA). No matter how many credit hours are given, every student must complete at least 50 hours of work over the course of the project.
If a student becomes ill during the project, the student must contact their May Project advisor and their principal to discuss if and how those hours will be made up.
Each project must include work of benefit to the local community. At least 50% of the May Project hours must have a community-benefit component. In nearly all cases, work at for-profit organizations is not eligible for the community-benefit portion of the project. May Projects must be approved by the May Project Review board, a group comprised of all the May Project advisors, the grade-level principal, and six seniors elected by their peers.
Because the May Project is intended to be a new experience, students should not propose a project sponsored by a relative, a school they attended, a former paying employer, or an organization for which they have previously volunteered.
No material compensation may be received by the senior for work during the project period.
Students will be assigned a faculty advisor to provide guidance as they devise their projects.
May Project ideas have been compiled for the seniors’ convenience and have already been posted online (https://sites.google.com/jburroughs.org/may-project/home). (Additional handouts will be posted in January. Please note that the database is only accessible to students.) While we hope this compilation will prove helpful as students look for ideas, seniors are not limited to these options and are encouraged to follow their interests. Mrs. Rathert, our director of service learning, can be an especially helpful resource in this process.
Seniors must have close regular supervision by a sponsor at each organization at which they volunteer. This individual shall be a responsible adult with expertise in the selected area. The sponsor provides the school with a brief written evaluation on a form provided by the school before the project ends.
Students must have a meeting (either on-site or via Zoom) with the sponsors of each organization with whom they’ll be working to discuss responsibilities and expectations and to set up a schedule. This meeting must take place prior to completing the Final Project Proposal. Time has been set aside for this meeting and additional planning on Wednesday, March 3 (seniors have no classes). Students should not expect to be excused from classes or other school responsibilities for May Project planning. If students need to contact a sponsor or organization during the school day, they should do so in the College Counseling office.
Deadlines and Important Dates
Wednesday, February 3: The “Possibilities Form” (a list of potential projects) is due. Be sure to gather all necessary information before submitting the form or it will be returned immediately without approval.
Wednesday, March 3: Seniors must meet with their sponsor on-site and in person or via Zoom. During this meeting, they will discuss expectations, responsibilities, and scheduling. The sponsor will sign the Final May Project Proposal (white form) at this meeting.
Friday, March 5: The Final May Project Proposal is due. It must be completely filled out and signed, and must be delivered to your advisor personally. IMPORTANT: Forms not containing all necessary data -- phone numbers, addresses, zip codes, signatures, work schedule, and so on -- will be returned immediately for completion.
Tuesday, April 27: May Projects begin
Wednesday, June 2 at 4:00 pm: Each senior is required to attend the seminar.
There will be no extensions of these deadlines without prior approval granted in person by the student’s May Project advisor. Seniors who miss deadlines may be assigned by their principal to Study Halls or Detention.