A good senior class project can end high school on a high note.
Many seniors who are approaching their graduation date and preparing to enter a university or the "real world" are given an opportunity to give something back to their community through a senior class project. These projects can take many forms, but are often focused on helping the needy, improving some physical aspect of the town or promoting healthy living.
Green Up
Green Up Day traditionally happens in April, just a few weeks before many graduations, so it's a great opportunity for graduating seniors to make a contribution. Organizing is not difficult; just arrange a place for everyone to meet in the morning, and provide some trash bags. You also will want reflective vests if you will be working near traffic. Students can work in teams of two and clean up litter along roadways, in public parks and around the school. This project will make students feel useful and appreciated, and will help your town look better.
Food Drive
In difficult economic times, many people struggle to the point where they don't have enough to eat. Soliciting donations from those who are more fortunate and distributing them among the needy is a fulfilling and worthy activity for a senior class. Students can work with established charity groups to identify families in need, and can learn from people with more experience about approach this issue sensitively. A group of students working together to provide aid helps to overcome the negative image of young people that some members of the public have.
Mural
If your senior class has some motivated artists in it, working on a mural in your town can beautify a wall and leave a memento of your class after you have all moved on. The wall could be on the school's campus or somewhere else in town. An ideal location for a mural is a wall that has been defaced by unsightly graffiti or is otherwise an eyesore. Students should consult with town residents about appropriate subject matter, and solicit funding from the town and private donors to pay for paint and material. If it is a large wall, your class could paint only a part of it, allowing subsequent graduating classes to add their own murals in following years.
Helping the Elderly
Students and the elderly have a lot to offer each other because they complement the other group's strengths and weaknesses. Students have energy, enthusiasm, and good health, while the elderly and retirees have life experience and perspective. Participants in a useful senior project could focus on helping elderly people to clean up their lawns in the spring, offer simple home renovations such as painting and cleaning, or arrange a community-wide dinner in appreciation of their elders. An ambitious project could involve interviewing and filming elderly people and creating an oral history of the town and the families that have been there for a long time.
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