In late May, the graduating class of 2024 embarked on their final significant project before graduation—the Senior Project. This year's event held particular significance, as the school encouraged students to step out of the classroom, delve deeper into society, and experience life wholeheartedly to better align with future endeavors.

Preparations

In the process of preparing for the Senior Project, our school has established in-depth cooperation with 13 community organizations, enterprises, and public institutions. The school has worked hand in hand with community schools, youth libraries, and museums to provide students with rich and varied practical resources. In addition, cooperation with enterprises and public institutions covers various fields such as environmental protection, culture and art, science, and technology, opening doors to different industries for students. Moreover, parents have also actively participated in the project, providing assistance from 11 units and companies in industries such as finance, culture, and technology. The support and contributions of these partners have added rich colors to the students' projects.

Teachers in the school also play an important role. They provide students with subject projects from 21 disciplines, enabling students to explore social issues from different fields such as Chinese, mathematics, science, and history. These subject projects are both profound and extensive, able to stimulate students' curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

After fully understanding the requirements and objectives of the activity, students formed teams and set practical content, research directions, and expected goals. They demonstrated their unique talents and creativity in this challenging and opportune project.

During the Project

In this activity, "What can we do for the future?" is the most crucial question for students. Some students chose to engage in in-depth social practice for career exploration, while others completed research projects on social issues under the guidance of teachers at school.

Students who opted for career exploration have ventured into various fields such as business, education, and civic organizations, carrying out practical work or community service in various industries. Some transformed into tour guides, narrating stories about celebrity mansions for visitors. Others guided children in libraries on how to use the book-borrowing facilities, organized books, and assisted in managing the library's ecosystem. Still, others patiently accompanied autistic children, helping them express themselves and integrate into society, making their own contribution to assisting those in need. These projects encourage students to make positive contributions to society with what they have learned, understand social ecology, career prospects, and gain more clarity about their future career development.

On the other hand, some students have conducted diverse research projects under the guidance of teachers at school. Groups of 5 to 10 students, guided by 3 to 4 subject teachers, explored a wide range of research topics, such as reducing the impact of microplastics, applying statistics in sports competitions, literary and cultural landmarks in Shanghai, and original Chinese dramas. The Senior Project emphasizes the connection with society, encouraging students to think more about social realities and community needs. For example, students studying cryptography introduced in detail the branches of cryptography and their different applications. The "Walking Shanghai - Zhang Ailing's Literary Map" led by our Chinese teacher allowed students to explore Shanghai's unique cultural characteristics and discover the unique charm of Chinese culture and literature. Notably, the Chinese drama《换然一心》, written by IB Chinese B students, will be performed on Jun 7th at MIX Day. This play tells the story of a father and daughter swapping souls and experiencing each other's lives in learning and work, reflecting students' reflections on current family relationships.

Gala Show

On the afternoon of May 30th, each group of students organized their achievements into posters and brought their research results to display at the entrance of the Xianmian Building, where they received questions and scoring from mentors and judges. The scene was buzzing with excitement and applause, and teachers expressed admiration for the students' creativity and hard work. After fierce competition, the excellent group awards were given to the students who interned at Chenshan Botanical Garden, EssilorLuxoticca company, Chinese drama《换然一心》, Voice-Changer Workshop and Ningquan Asset Management Company. Let's extend our warmest congratulations to them! At the same time, we would like to thank every student and mentor for their hard work in the Senior Project, as well as all the practice units for their strong support to the students!

We hope that the Senior Project experience will become a valuable asset in the students' lives. We wish that they can integrate the experience of this activity into their future life planning, apply what they have learned and achieved in practice, and contribute to society with their own strengths. The precious memories of high school will forever remain in everyone's hearts. We firmly believe that in the future, no matter where they go, they will shine brightly and showcase their unique charm.

(Written by 12-3 Angela Zhang,12-8 Jennifer Suh Picture by SHSID Media Group Edited by 12-8 Michelle Jiang, 12-3 Sophia Yang Supervised by Yueer Gao Proofread by Mr. Cody Allen Turner)