By Abby Hite, Staff Writer
Four years of high school teaches you a lot: communication skills, researching methods and how to plan an assignment (unless procrastination sets in). For many North Carolina students, these skills are vital to creating a successful senior project, according to ncpublicschools.org.
The senior project, also known as the graduation project, was once required in the state of North Carolina. Now, each school district makes the decision as to whether or not its students will complete one.
Dare County still mandates a senior project, one that follows the guidelines set by North Carolina that includes a portfolio, a product, a research paper and an oral presentation.
This may change next year if Bill 377 gets out of the North Carolina Senate and becomes law. Bill 377 would change the current law letting districts decide for themselves if graduation projects are required and make it a universal law to not require the project.
Some think the project isn’t worth it in the long run because of the time it takes to research, work with outside sources, create a project and prepare a presentation that community members watch in the classroom.
Others appreciate being able to look into something they believe in, everything from environmental topics to societal issues to specialized and unique ideas – like senior Izzy Warner, who researched the benefits of natural deodorant.
“I’ve always been into natural products,” Warner said. “The project is helping me see how people use marketing, which is cool because I want to go into business.”
Crissie Weeks teaches 12th-grade English, where a student would typically complete their senior project with her guidance. Weeks agrees that the project is beneficial because of the effect it has on the students. She is with them every step of the way, so she knows what they go through and how hard they work to complete it.
“It teaches them not only about the topic they chose, but it teaches them a lot about themselves because they have to learn to manage their time and how to communicate with others,” Weeks said.
Junior Abby Hite can be reached at hiteab0304@daretolearn.org.
