The Project

Facility Usage

1. School District: Any student desiring to use WVCSD space to conduct their Senior Project must indicate so on their Project Proposal Form. Following approval, it is the student’s responsibility to meet with the SP Coordinator or a team leader to submit an online Facility Request form. When this meeting is held, the student should have already checked possible dates against the school district calendar.

2. Outside Venues: If a student wants to hold a function related to their Senior Project at a location off school premises, they must indicate so on their Project Proposal Form. Following approval, it is the student’s responsibility to meet with the owner of the proposed venue and discuss the location’s insurance policy. The SP student will be asked to verify that they have done this by one of their SP teachers. Venues used by SP students in the past have included The Castle in Chester, and the grounds of St. Stephen’s Church.

Fundraising

Senior Project is a wonderful opportunity to raise money for charities. Any money that is raised must be held by an SP teacher who will submit it into the proper school-sanctioned accounts. However, it remains appropriate for the SP student to keep track of monies raised. The SP teacher will request that a check be written to the intended charity from the money raised by the SP student. Students should not hold onto fundraising money and should not put the money into their own personal account. All fundraising money must be funneled through WVHS.

Mentor Requirements

• Be an expert in the field. This means that the mentor has significant experience in the subject that you wish to explore.

• Be over 21 years of age. Mentors must be adults, not your peers.

• Be a non-relative, preferably. Parents, brothers, or sisters do not qualify.

• Be available for consultation throughout your Senior Project, as well as the January mentor meeting. The school district will contact your mentor to verify that they will be working with you. However, the school is not responsible for transportation or setting up meetings between you and your mentor. The mentor must be able to verify that you completed your required hours. They will have paperwork to complete in May regarding your project.

How to Find a Mentor

First, decide on your project. Then, try some of the following methods in order to find a mentor:

• Ask relatives or friends who are working in related fields

• Ask current or former employers

• Ask local businesses

• Consult the yellow pages or Google

• Contact local government agencies

• Consult your current or former teachers

If you ask a person to be your mentor and they say no, thank the person anyway and then say, “Can you refer me to someone else?”

Questions to ask when you first meet your mentor

• What are you most looking forward to with Senior Project?

• What is your biggest concern with Senior Project?

• How effective are you at managing your time and meeting deadlines?

• Do you get easily distracted from your goals?

• Would you describe yourself as a procrastinator?

• Do you prefer working alone or with others?

• Presentation skills: what are your strengths/weaknesses?

• Does the mentor have any resources or ideas that you could use with your SP papers?

Be sure to develop a schedule for meeting, exchange contact information (email addresses, phone numbers) and discuss the best way to reach one another.

You and your mentor should talk about your expectations of one another: what level of responsibility they are expecting from you and the level of support you are expecting from them.