Senior Project

Senior project gives students a unique opportunity. Seniors have 4-6 weeks at the end of the school year during which all of their classes are suspended and they are free to pursue a more independent, student-driven educational experience. If there is a specific area students have a passion for, they can explore it further. Some senior projects come in the form of traditional internships, while others are more self-directed projects. Here are some important guidelines to keep in mind.

OPTION A: Independent Project

You will need to propose a goal for your independent project. Think: what do you want to achieve at the end of this process, and how could you break that down into smaller steps in order to plan your time?

You will need to have a form of expert consultation. This can take the form of a mentor, a workplace (part-time internship), or a reputable course you can consult - as long as it is related to your independent project. This expert will assist you in achieving the goals you have for senior project, as well as supervise some of the process. At least 10 hours per week must be devoted to working with this expert consultation. You can meet & work with your mentor for 10+ hours, work in a professional location for 10+ hours, complete 10+ hours of reputable course work, or some combination of these options. You must work at least 30 hours, 5 days per week, and no more than TWO of those may be spent working remotely / virtually.

The remaining hours should be spent working towards your proposed goal. You may be engaged in research and/or hands-on independent work during this time that should build towards deliverable artifacts that demonstrate your growth in your chosen field.

OPTION B: FULL TIME Internship

Much like our January Internship program, you may choose to intern with a specific person or company. You will need to have a mentor/sponsor to work with. Think back to your previous 2-3 internship experiences; what worked well, what didn't, what did you learn, and what are you seeking that is different in this experience? Keep in mind that you will have a full week to fill with no classes to attend, so you'll want to pursue an experience that you will find interesting and fulfilling. You must work at least 30 hours, 5 days per week, and no more than TWO of those may be spent working remotely / virtually.

You must work individually; two A-School students will not be approved to intern at the same site. Students cannot accept payment of any kind for their work. You will also be required to collect and/or build deliverable artifacts that demonstrate your growth in your chosen field.

Please note: If you would like to intern at one of the lower schools in our district, you must apply using the forms posted on the SHS Senior Options website before the end of January. If you would like to complete the SVAC EMT training course, you must apply using their website before the course fills up.

OPTION C: Peer-Led Learning

What do you want to learn? Join a group of your classmates to keep the learning going. Take complete ownership over your education - you get to make the syllabus, teach the lessons, and control the experience.

Students interested in Peer-Led Learning must get approval during the proposal phase and must take part in regular planning meetings to plan the syllabus before the start of Senior Project.

During Senior Project, you will spend each Tuesday and Wednesday at school, teaching each other about the topics you chose. You must attend Core Group on Tuesdays and Community Meeting on Wednesdays. You will also have a lunch break on Wednesdays. You can do (almost) whatever you like with this time, so be creative; really think about what you really want to learn and what knowledge you want to share with others.

For the remaining three days of each work week, you may either complete an independent project or an internship. In addition to the full school day on Tuesday and Wednesday, you must work at least 20 hours, 3 days per week, and no more than ONE of those may be spent working remotely / virtually. If you are completing an independent project, you still need 10+ of those hours to be spent with your expert consult.

For all options, students are expected to:

Submit a project proposal with a statement of purpose, to be approved by the A-School teachers
Submit a final contract, including signatures from the student, parent/guardian, and mentor, an outline of the tasks and responsibilities planned, and a proposed schedule for the first week
Work a minimum of 30 hours, 5 days per week
Spend no more than two days working remotely / virtually
Keep and submit regular journal entries to reflect on their experience
Keep and submit weekly time logs (with mentor signatures)

Check in with their assigned school advisor once per week
- In-person check-in meetings will all take place on Wednesdays at lunch
- Virtual check-in meetings will all take place on Thursdays at lunch
Attend Core Group and Community Meeting (unless your Senior Project causes an unavoidable conflict, in which case you must get advanced approval from your school advisor to be excused from these events).
Create a presentation at the end of the Senior Project to share their deliverable artifacts and show off what they have learned and accomplished through this experience
Watch ALL presentations given by the other seniors in the A-School

Project Proposal Submission Form

CLICK HERE to see what the proposal form looks like; submissions will run through the A-School's Google Classroom.

Important Dates & Deadlines

Proposal & Statement of Purpose: Monday, March 15th
Final Contract (with signatures): Monday, April 12th
Senior Project: April 26th - June 5th, 2027
Presentations: June 8th - June 10th, 2027

Important Note: Presentations are mandatory for all of our seniors. This time counts towards the mandatory hours required for credit from New York State. Please DO NOT book appointments or college orientations during these dates. In order to foster community, ownership, and A-School values we set aside this time for the seniors to learn from each other, rather than continuing with independent work. Senior Project is NOT OVER until the presentations are complete!

Each week, you will be responsible for submitting a TWO PAGE TIME LOG that includes your schedule from the past week (along with a list of the tasks you completed and a signature from your professional mentor) and your planned schedule for the upcoming week. The template for these time logs can be found below.

You may only count travel time that exceeds 5 hours per week. For example, if you travel 7 hours total per week, you may count 2 hours of that time towards your SP hours.

You may also count 3 hours for your A-School responsibilities (1 hour for Core Group, 1.5 hours for Community Meeting, and 30 minutes for your weekly check-in meeting).

Time logs must be signed BY HAND by an adult who supervises your work; no digital signatures will be accepted!

Below, you can see what your evaluation will look like at the end of Senior Project. This will go into your final transcript.

PLEASE NOTE: Missing a weekly school advisor check-in meeting or failing to submit a time-log or journal results in failing that week. Failing more than one week results in a failure of Senior Project. Earning 2+ failures in any categories results in a failure of Senior Project. Since this is a graduation requirement for both the Scarsdale Alternative School and Scarsdale High School, any student who fails their Senior Project would have to make-up or redo the project over the summer in order to graduate.

CLICK HERE to read through some evaluations of past successful senior projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from the main school's Senior Options Program?

Unlike with the main high school, you do not have to ask a teacher to be your mentor / school-advisor. You will be assigned to work with one of the A-School teachers. We have our own proposal, contract, and time log forms that are separate from the main high school. However, just like the main high school, you are expected to work a minimum of 28 days, 168 hours total.

Because of our January internship program, our timeline runs a bit differently than the main high school - the only application form and deadline we share is the one needed to apply to work at the district's lower schools (Heathcote, Edgewood, Quaker Ridge, and SMS). You can find these application forms on the SHS Senior Options Website (CLICK HERE), and you MUST apply by the end of January. Please respect the application process put forward by each school; DO NOT contact individual teachers at these schools to request an internship after the deadlines have passed. If you propose an internship with one of these schools, but you have not gone through the appropriate application process, your proposal will be denied.

If you are interested in pursuing the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps EMT Training Course, CLICK HERE for more information. This course fills up quickly, so make sure that you apply ASAP! This course will also have some slightly special circumstances - please speak individually with Haley to get more info.

I don't know where to start looking for potential internship sponsors - can you help?

CLICK HERE to see the main school's Senior Options database. CLICK HERE to see the A-School's internship database. CLICK HERE to see a list of free courses available on Coursera. Remember, you're spending a lot of time at this job - choose something you are passionate about!

What if I am out sick or I have a doctor's appointment?

Please contact your school advisor and your professional mentor to let them know if you are unable to attend meetings you had scheduled because you are unwell. You are expected to make up these hours within the week. You are expected to work 30+ hours each week in order to earn school credit for this experience. If you are so unwell that this becomes impossible, you will be asked to provide a doctor's note.

Do I still have to attend Core Group and Community Meeting?

Yes, all seniors are expected to attend every Core Group and Community Meeting throughout Senior Project. You will be able to count 1 hour for Core Group and 1.5 hours for Community Meeting towards your project hours each week. If your project has an unavoidable conflict with these times, you must get advanced approval from your school advisor to be excused (and you will still be expected to make up those hours). For example, in the past students have been excused from CG and CM for projects that require them to travel out of state. If you do not have advanced approval and you are missing from those events, you will be taken to Fairness AND you will FAIL your Communication for that week. As a reminder, failing any 2+ categories will result in failing Senior Project, which is a graduation requirement!

What happens if my schedule changes at the last minute?

You are expected to submit a planned schedule before the start of each week. If you have any kind of last-minute change to your schedule, you should communicate any changes to Maria, your school advisor, AND to your professional mentor. The school needs an accurate schedule for you at all times so that you are covered by our insurance policy while working.

I have something scheduled during Senior Project Presentations - can I skip someone else's presentation?

NO!!! ALL presentations are mandatory for ALL of our seniors. This time counts as part of our hourly requirements for the state so that you can earn school credit for this experience. Please do not book any appointments or college orientations during these dates. In order to foster community, ownership, and A-School values we set aside this time for the seniors to learn from each other. If you miss any of the Senior Project presentations for ANY reason, you will be taken to Fairness and you will be assigned to some form of community service to make up that time.

How do I account for travel time in my time log?

You may only count travel time if it is in excess of 5 hours per week. For example, if you travel a total of 7 hours in a given week, you may count 2 of those hours towards your senior project for that week.

What if I'm taking AP exams?

AP exams, as well as any review sessions hosted by your SHS teachers, can be counted towards your Senior Project hours. Make sure to record these events clearly in your weekly time logs. Review sessions count for one hour each. Exams count for four hours each (unless you have extra time that makes the exam last longer than four hours).

Do I have to work on the days of Prom and Memorial Day?

No - you may choose to work on these days, but you do not have to. You may deduct 6 hours of work time from your weekly requirements for the following events: Memorial Day, Eid al-Adha, Prom, the day after Prom, and Senior Transition Day.

Can I work 40 hours one week so that I can work 20 hours the next week?

No, you are expected to work 30+ hours, 5+ days each week. You cannot move hours from one week to another or collect extra hours in advance. Any week that you do not work at least 30 hours is considered a failed week - this will be indicated in both the "Documentation" and "Communication" portions of the rubric for that week. Failing more than one week (or earning failing grades in any 2+ boxes on the rubric) results in a failure of Senior Project. Since this is a graduation requirement for both the Scarsdale Alternative School and Scarsdale High School, any student who fails their Senior Project would have to make-up or redo the project over the summer in order to graduate.

Can I work 10 hours, three days a week and take the rest of the week off?

No, you must work at least five days per week (unless you are specifically instructed otherwise, like the week of Memorial Day).

Can I work on the weekends?

Yes, you can work any day of the week, as long as you make your minimum of 5+ days, 30+ hours.

Can I work with my friend?

Probably not; group projects have been approved very very rarely under extremely special circumstances. These would require considerably more work than an individual project. If you have an idea for a group project, please consult with the A-School teachers before you go too far down this path.

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