Senior Project - Seattle Academy
Source: http://www.seattleacademy.org/academics/senior-project
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:25
Senior Project - Seattle Academy
The Hub
Senior Project
A Capstone Rooted in Our Mission
We believe that education reaches its highest impact when students take what they’ve learned and apply it in the world beyond our walls. That’s the vision behind the Senior Project—a culminating experience that challenges students to activate their skills, step into professional environments, and contribute to communities and causes they care about. Students apply their academic learning to a range of career contexts, drawing on the interdisciplinary tools they’ve developed throughout their time at SAAS.
Taking place over the final four weeks of senior year, the Senior Project is a non-paid internship experience designed to align with each student’s interests and aspirations. Students explore a range of opportunities - from careers in science, law, conservation, media, or the arts - students engage in meaningful, relevant work that stretches them beyond the familiar and prepares them for life after SAAS.
From writing grants to working with GIS software, from observing courtroom proceedings to collaborating with conservationists, students are expected to problem-solve, communicate across differences, and contribute to their new workplace — all while navigating the unstructured complexity of the adult world.
“There is a lot that is wrong with the world today, but the two of you give me great hope for our future.” - Jimmy Hung, Chief Deputy | Juvenile Division | Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (Interns: Abigail Batingan '22 & Ryder Gwinn '22)
Outcomes That Matter
The Senior Project is an invitation to step into adulthood with purpose, awareness, and confidence. Students:
Explore intellectual and professional interests that may guide future studies or careers
Develop ethical awareness and responsibility in adult environments
Build connections with people and organizations beyond the SAAS community
Reflect on their own growth and readiness as learners, citizens, and contributors
"To be sure, there was initially a steep learning curve- public lands, surveys, grants and patents –all new stuff; plus some GIS software, but he became quite skilled very quickly. That allowed a more independent approach to his work." - Charles Raines, Cascade Checkerboard Project/Forest Conservation
The Senior Project
Provides students the opportunity to explore areas of intellectual and professional interest that may help guide them in their college and post-collegiate life.
The Senior Project
Develop a code of ethics about living and working in the adult world where there is more independence (and greater consequences) for their actions.
The Senior Project
Interact with people outside of the Seattle Academy community; building an increased awareness of life beyond Seattle Academy.
The Senior Project
The Senior Project Program occurs the final five weeks of spring trimester during senior year and is ultimately an opportunity to activate the skills they have developed over their time at Seattle Academy in an adult setting that requires real-world competencies.
MEET THE SENIOR PROJECT FACULTY
What is the SAAS Senior Project Program?
What are the program benefits?
What are the program requirements?
What are typical challenges that students face in Senior Project?
What do I do if I have questions/challenges?
The Senior Project is an internship program that began in the spring of 2004 with the goal of helping our Seniors apply their education, experience, and problem-solving skills in a real-world work environment. Students can choose to spend the last 4 weeks of their senior year immersed in a professional environment with the support of a site supervisor and SAAS faculty advisor.
Students participate in a variety of projects including hands-on technology work, research, engineering, presentation development, they build things, they help businesses organize and transform systems, or they can develop a social media program, among other duties that benefit the business/organization. Students are immersed in a professional environment where they can apply the skills they’ve acquired at SAAS in a real-world professional work environment. They get to do all of this while still benefiting from the support of SAAS mentors.
Organization’s typically host the student(s) four days per week, Monday - Thursday, and students are back on campus on Fridays. They work no more than 25 hours per week either in-person, remotely for the month of May.
Seniors want to do a good job, and for some, this might be their first job experience. Some students need more support than others when it comes to managing time and the project work. We communicate with organizations to make sure that the site supervisor is clear about expectations and provides adequate feedback to students.
Rachel Leavitt-Baron
Titles:
Community Action Program Coordinator, Upper School Study Skills Teacher
Division(s):
Upper School, All School
Email:
Phone Numbers:
School:
206-720-2685
The Hub
Senior Project
A Capstone Rooted in Our Mission
We believe that education reaches its highest impact when students take what they’ve learned and apply it in the world beyond our walls. That’s the vision behind the Senior Project—a culminating experience that challenges students to activate their skills, step into professional environments, and contribute to communities and causes they care about. Students apply their academic learning to a range of career contexts, drawing on the interdisciplinary tools they’ve developed throughout their time at SAAS.
Taking place over the final four weeks of senior year, the Senior Project is a non-paid internship experience designed to align with each student’s interests and aspirations. Students explore a range of opportunities - from careers in science, law, conservation, media, or the arts - students engage in meaningful, relevant work that stretches them beyond the familiar and prepares them for life after SAAS.
From writing grants to working with GIS software, from observing courtroom proceedings to collaborating with conservationists, students are expected to problem-solve, communicate across differences, and contribute to their new workplace — all while navigating the unstructured complexity of the adult world.
“There is a lot that is wrong with the world today, but the two of you give me great hope for our future.” - Jimmy Hung, Chief Deputy | Juvenile Division | Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (Interns: Abigail Batingan '22 & Ryder Gwinn '22)
Outcomes That Matter
The Senior Project is an invitation to step into adulthood with purpose, awareness, and confidence. Students:
Explore intellectual and professional interests that may guide future studies or careers
Develop ethical awareness and responsibility in adult environments
Build connections with people and organizations beyond the SAAS community
Reflect on their own growth and readiness as learners, citizens, and contributors
"To be sure, there was initially a steep learning curve- public lands, surveys, grants and patents –all new stuff; plus some GIS software, but he became quite skilled very quickly. That allowed a more independent approach to his work." - Charles Raines, Cascade Checkerboard Project/Forest Conservation
The Senior Project
Provides students the opportunity to explore areas of intellectual and professional interest that may help guide them in their college and post-collegiate life.
The Senior Project
Develop a code of ethics about living and working in the adult world where there is more independence (and greater consequences) for their actions.
The Senior Project
Interact with people outside of the Seattle Academy community; building an increased awareness of life beyond Seattle Academy.
The Senior Project
The Senior Project Program occurs the final five weeks of spring trimester during senior year and is ultimately an opportunity to activate the skills they have developed over their time at Seattle Academy in an adult setting that requires real-world competencies.
MEET THE SENIOR PROJECT FACULTY
What is the SAAS Senior Project Program?
What are the program benefits?
What are the program requirements?
What are typical challenges that students face in Senior Project?
What do I do if I have questions/challenges?
The Senior Project is an internship program that began in the spring of 2004 with the goal of helping our Seniors apply their education, experience, and problem-solving skills in a real-world work environment. Students can choose to spend the last 4 weeks of their senior year immersed in a professional environment with the support of a site supervisor and SAAS faculty advisor.
Students participate in a variety of projects including hands-on technology work, research, engineering, presentation development, they build things, they help businesses organize and transform systems, or they can develop a social media program, among other duties that benefit the business/organization. Students are immersed in a professional environment where they can apply the skills they’ve acquired at SAAS in a real-world professional work environment. They get to do all of this while still benefiting from the support of SAAS mentors.
Organization’s typically host the student(s) four days per week, Monday - Thursday, and students are back on campus on Fridays. They work no more than 25 hours per week either in-person, remotely for the month of May.
Seniors want to do a good job, and for some, this might be their first job experience. Some students need more support than others when it comes to managing time and the project work. We communicate with organizations to make sure that the site supervisor is clear about expectations and provides adequate feedback to students.
Rachel Leavitt-Baron
Titles:
Community Action Program Coordinator, Upper School Study Skills Teacher
Division(s):
Upper School, All School
Email:
Phone Numbers:
School:
206-720-2685