Purpose

Senior Projects provide opportunities for students to engage with the local community while living Catlin Gabel’s mission of “inspired learning leading to responsible action.” Senior Projects represent the best of experiential learning at Catlin Gabel. They are student-driven, connected to the community, and skills-focused, and allow students to apply their knowledge and skills to make an authentic impact with local businesses and organizations.

Learning outcomes

Students will:

• Identify areas for personal growth and seek a Senior Project opportunity that allows them to leverage strengths while also intentionally developing skills outside of their wheelhouse
• Engage with the community outside of Catlin Gabel School with respect, humility, and a learner’s mindset
• Demonstrate initiative, independence, and an ability to work in a self-directed manner throughout the process
• Apply their critical thinking, writing, speaking, and qualitative and quantitative reasoning skills in a novel setting outside of the classroom
• Practice professional communication with adults
• Create a professional online presence and use this presence to connect with a network of mentors, supporters, and professional contacts
• Set goals and reflect on these goals throughout the project to gain a deeper understanding of self
• Make a positive impact on an individual, institution, or organization in the Portland area
• Creatively share their project with the community through the Senior Project Exhibition