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.

For all projects, 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 per week

• Check in with their assigned school advisor once per week

• Keep and submit regular journal entries to reflect on their experience

• Keep and submit weekly time logs (with mentor signatures)

• 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.

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 manually; 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 four 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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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 each week. You cannot move hours from one week to another. 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 4+ 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. 

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, Prom, the day after Prom, and Senior Transition Day. 

This year, that means during Week 5 of Senior Project, you are only requried to work a minimum of 12 hours instead of 30. If you are working on a independent project, at least 4 of those hours must be spent with your professional mentor. During Week 6, you are required to work a minimum of 24 hours; at least 8 hours must be spent with your professional mentor. 

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. 

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!

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.