During their senior year, students have the opportunity to design and execute an individual project based on a personal interest or passion. In the fall term, students independently develop ideas for their projects -- some choose to focus their projects in the Wood River Valley, while many others elect to travel to destinations around the United States and the world. Projects can emphasize personal enrichment, community service, academics, the arts -- essentially any category that proves worthy of consideration by the committee. Written proposals are submitted to a faculty committee, which must approve each project. Upon approval, students select a faculty advisor and begin work with the Senior Project Coordinator and Director of Alumni Relations to determine the specifics and find a project sponsor.

During the spring term, seniors spend four to six weeks in the field completing their projects. As these are truly independent endeavors, students are off-campus and working on their own (or in conjunction with their sponsors). During this time, they are actively recording their experiences and findings, in anticipation of their project presentations. Many choose to keep family, faculty and peers up-to-date on their project activities through blogs.



Upon their return to campus, seniors formally present their project findings and outcomes to the public in our school theater (or sometimes on-site, if the project demands it and schedules allow). Recent projects have included working at an orphanage in Peru, studying urban and rural hunger in America, creating a hand-animated stop-motion film, comparing educational philosophies in elementary education, and examining the problem of hunger in the United States. This capstone experience draws upon the individual passions and interests of the students while allowing them to put into practice the research, writing, presentation and public speaking skills they have developed throughout their years at Community School.