Oral Defense

What is the Oral Defense?

The Oral Defense is the culminating experience in a Summit student’s Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) journey. Similar to other PLP meetings, this is a 30 minute conversation about the student's Concrete Next Step (CNS) between the student, the student's mentor and their supporters, known as the student's Personal Advisory Board (PAB). The student will first briefly share their chosen CNS with their PAB and talk about how it supports their criteria for wellbeing in their next step. The PAB will then celebrate this huge decision, discuss areas for excitement and any worries that come up, and discuss how they can support the next step that the student has selected based on their presentation. By the end of the Oral Defense, the student and their PAB members will agree on how they can commit to supporting the student's transition to their next step.

Why an Oral Defense in front of the Personal Advisory Board?

Our mission at Summit is to prepare a diverse community of young people with the skills, knowledge, and habits to attain economic empowerment and success in a chosen concrete next step toward a fulfilled life. Making an informed decision across a variety of postsecondary pathways that will support students to get to and through their Concrete Next Step requires input from those who support the students most in life, i.e. Personal Advisory Board. These are the people who know students best and can continue to be their support network beyond their time at Summit. Therefore, engaging in an Oral Defense ensures that those in the students' corner will be able to continue to support them towards completion of their Concrete Next Step.

Completing an Oral Defense is also a requirement to be eligible for the Robert and Marion Oster Scholarship. The scholarship fund will be given as a result of a student’s 12th grade Oral Defense, evaluated by a Personal Advisory Board, to demonstrate the completion of the Concrete Next Step outcome. Scholarship recipients are committed to Summit’s values, enroll in a best-fit next step that is directly connected to their purpose-driven life plan, and must maintain good communication with the Robert and Marion Oster Scholarship Fund.

How will the Oral Defense be Assessed?

The oral defense will be assessed by the Personal Advisory Board based on common criteria measuring viability and authenticity of the student's selected Concrete Next Step.

Additional Resources

For more information about Oral Defenses, please access the SY23 Oral Defense Project Overview.

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