Graduation Project Coordinator:   Mr. Rea, Room 217 

Purpose

The purpose of the POASD Graduation Project is to guide students into an appropriate career choice through hands-on experiences, portfolio development, course selections, interviews, and dialogue. 

Graduation Project Overview

In the fall of the freshman year, each student will be introduced to the purpose and process of the graduation project. Students will complete a career interest survey in their English classes and be introduced to activities that will guide and inform their career search process.  Students will also explore at least three career options via the career exploration websites. 

In the sophomore year, students will conduct in-depth research on one of the three careers they explored during their freshmen year.  A research paper will be developed and submitted to the student’s English teacher for approval.  The final draft will be placed in the student portfolio. 

Every student has a right to change their career trajectory.  So, as a junior, students will revisit their career selections from the freshmen and sophomore years in English class.  In English class, students will create resumes and college application essays for their portfolios.  They will also practice effective interviewing techniques.  The junior year also allows students to begin a job shadowing placement that aligns with their career trajectory.  Students will discuss these placements with the Graduation Projector Coordinator and their English teacher.

In the senior year, students may opt to conduct a job shadowing placement, if it was not done during the junior year.  Students will also participate as an interviewee through the mock interview process.  In this process, business and community leaders will interview teams of senior students for a fictitious position in a made-up company.  Each student’s performance will be assessed through a rubric and feedback from the interviewer will be provided to the student’s English teacher.  The teacher and student will then conference privately on the student’s performance during the mock interview.  To complete the Graduation Project, senior students must write a final reflection summarizing their career experiences throughout high school and submit to their English teacher for review.  Final portfolios will be organized and submitted to the Graduation Project Coordinator for assessment and final scoring of the project as a whole.