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| Elizabeth Barnitt Changing Hands Bookstore "The Lost Art of the Bookstore" |
The Senior Project (SP) is one of the most unique aspects of BASIS Scottsdale's academic program. These projects offer an opportunity for our high performing students to demonstrate the knowledge and research skills they have developed throughout their time in high school. Students blog weekly about their findings, which they ultimately share in a final presentation to the community. They also create a final product of their own design. Students who successfully complete a Senior Research Project graduate with High Honors.
How does the program work?
The Senior Project is voluntary and is not a paid experience. Students work from February through April, spending a minimum of 15 hours per week on-site, for a total of ten weeks. Since students will not be taking classes during this time, they are available to be at their sites during the day.
BASIS students team with site mentors from a myriad of organizations and fields. (Past examples include artists, corporate officers, entrepreneurs, and academic researchers.) To complete the Senior Project, students travel both near and far. (Past students have been placed in the metro-Phoenix areas, as well as California, Utah, Washington D.C., India, France, Singapore and Pakistan!)
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| Luke van Reede van Oudtshoorn Royal Ulster Rifles Museum "The Troubles in Northern Ireland" |
BASIS Scottsdale students are eager and capable learners, providing a set of fresh eyes to their sites. The SP was developed so students could acquire real-world experience and professional skill sets while pursuing personal passions. Through the mentorship of a faculty adviser and on-site mentor, students are able to simultaneously explore a research question and major/career options. At the end of many projects, students are asked to remain on-site.
On average, BASIS students are two years ahead of the typical high school student. Going into the senior year, students will have taken a minimum of 8 Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Consequently, our seniors have already met all state graduation requirements. Since our seniors are no longer enrolled in courses at BASIS Scottsdale, they can dedicate their full attention to the SP.
Students identity possible areas of interest and work directly with a Faculty Adviser to develop a research plan and proposal. Students then contact possible partners and provide resumes for review. A single site may take on as many students as it is able to support. Prior to offering a placement, you may meet to discuss expectations and goals.
Interested?
For more information, please contact:
Rachael Whitney, Senior Project Coordinator, at
rachael.whitney@basised.com or
(480) 451-7500.