Graduation Projects

Happy Holidays! We have just finished our mid-year Graduation Projects at each of our high schools, and I wanted to share with you some reflections on the work that our students have accomplished during this process.

As many of you know, Graduation Projects became a state requirement for graduating seniors, and then was repealed as a state requirement this past year. We were left with a choice of not requiring students to complete the project, or making the projects a local requirement. After discussions with administrators, students and parents, our board of education decided to continue the requirement. The question “Why require students to complete a requirement that the state doesn’t require” has been asked often of me, and some of you may be pondering the same.

Education is in a state of transition. We are preparing students for a future that is not predictable. A student who enters high school as a freshman will leave into an entirely different world as a senior because technology and society is moving at such a fast pace. Our students must learn to adapt, communicate and learn not just knowledge, but how to think in a flexible and creative way. The Graduation projects facilitate this by requiring students to collaborate with a community member, complete in-depth research and, perhaps most important, take an academic approach to a subject in which the student is genuinely interested. The final oral presentation to a committee completes the process. I have come to the conclusion that the projects come closer to real-world life and work experiences than any other endeavor we approach in our school system. They help bring the community in to our classrooms and show students that any interest can become a serious academic or career pursuit.

Some of the topics included Breast Cancer Awareness, Belly Dancing, Upholstering a Chair, Quilting and the Native American Indian Heritage, Cake Decorating, Rebuilding a Car Motor, Pharmacology, Paleontology, Fish Farming, Turtle Rescue, Tango Dancing, Scuba Diving, Fly Fishing, and Cochlear Implants. In many instances, these projects had fundraising or public service components. In the vast majority of projects, the students’ enthusiasm and mastery of the material were clearly evident. When we provide students an opportunity learn about a topic that they are passionate about, engagement and involvement result. My sincere hope is that, with your help, we will continue to evolve our schools into environments where all students are engaged and excited about learning. The lessons that the Graduation Projects have taught us will help obtain this goal.

Please visit our website at www.columbus.k12.nc.us and I invite your comments on my blog at drstrickland.blogspot.com. We also invite you to view our Virtual Holiday Card at http://www.ccsholidaycard.com. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.