The student proposes volunteering at a children's hospital by shadowing a nurse and planning social activities for 4 dates to help socially withdrawn children feel more accepted, with verification provided through a scrapbook, children's journals, and photographs; the student's mentor is the activities coordinator at the hospital who has agreed to help plan age-appropriate activities and ensure project success.
1. Seneca Valley Senior Project
Project Proposal
Part I. Laying the Foundation
A. Refer to your Paper Proposal and restate your area of interest and explain what new and additional information you
have learned since completing your research.
In doing my research paper, I have learned that children with a terminally ill disease are socially withdrawn
because of being excluded.
B. What questions about this area of study do you hope to answer through completing a project? In other words, what
information will completing a project provide that the research paper did not?
My project will teach me if children with a terminally ill disease are socially withdrawn. The project will also
provide me experience with children and the opportunity to provide them with social interactions.
C. What were your initial project ideas from your Paper Proposal?
I thought about volunteering at a children’s hospital or possibly holding a trampoline-a-thon over the weekend
to raise money for Make a Wish organization.
D. Are these ideas still feasible? If yes, how so? If not, why?
My ideas are still feasible because I am really focusing on the volunteer project. I have spoken to a director at
the hospital and they are in need of a project volunteer.
E. As specifically as possible, suggest at least two different project ideas related to your area of interest. These may be
your initial project ideas from the paper proposal, revisions of those ideas, or something completely new. Complete the
following table supplying adequate information for each project idea. The following is a description of the information
required for each project idea.
2. Product Board Area Adult Expense Time
List which Board Area
Resource Consider the finances you Consider your
Identify the product
best describes your may need to complete your schedule: school,
that would be created Name at least one
research and project. See project. What are they and work, social, family,
for each project specific adult whose
description of Board how will you meet the and the time demands
listed. This is what expertise could help
Areas in this manual. costs? of each project.
classroom teacher guide you through
1. Academic/Humanities Which project better
and Senior Board this project. Briefly
2. Academic/Sciences meets your time
judges will use to explain how this
3. Career/Entrepreneur management abilities?
assess your project. person’s knowledge
4. Mechanical Design/
can help you.
Construction (The adult must be at least
5. School/Community 21 years of age and not a
Service & parent or relative.)
Improvement
6. Visual/Performing
Arts
Volunteer at Community Service Mr. Smith who 1. Prizes $30 6 hours
Children’s and Improvement has conducted 2. Games $15 shadowing a
Hospital and fundraising for 3. Invitations nurse.
Project have four many $5 9 hours
activity days organizations. planning
#1 for the George Lump Total $50.00 paid in activities –
children. who is the full by me. games, snacks
Scrapbook of Financial and prizes
my Director of 8 hrs. at activity
experiences. Children’s (1 hr. for each
Survey of Hospital activity; .5 hrs.
children’s to set-up; .5 hrs.
interests. to clean up.)
Total: 23 hrs.
Hold a Community Service Mr. Smith who 1. Trampoline 4 hrs. setting up
trampoline- and Improvement has conducted $450 the trampoline
athon to raise fundraising for 2. Place 8 hrs. acquiring
Project money for many $50-100 people and
Children’s organizations. 3. Refreshments having them sign
#2 Hospital. George Lump $20 waivers
Video and who is the 3 hrs. acquiring
Certificate of Financial Total $585 paid in donations for
donation. Director of full by me refreshments and
Children’s other costs
Hospital 15 hrs. for the
trampoline-athon
Total: 30 hrs.
3. I do not have a
third project
idea at this
Project time.
#3
(optional)
F. Based on your answers above, identify the project you wish to complete for senior project. Elaborate
on information provided in the table; explain all parts of project, stages of completion, and products.
Volunteering at Children’s Hospital and planning 4 social activities for the children will be
the best project choice for me given the time and the cost of the project. This project will
take a great deal of time management, planning skills, and interpersonal skills. I will start by
volunteering at the hospital, which will include shadowing Miss Robinson, a nurse. At that
time she will introduce me to the children and teach me how to work and socialize with the
children. I will shadow Miss Robinson for 2 hrs. on 3/1/05, 3/8/05, and 3/22/05. After
shadowing Miss Robinson I will hold an activity for the children. The activity will take
place in the playroom so the children do not have to leave the floor. The activities that I will
have will be organized by me with the assistance of Harry Kamp. Each activity will be an
hour long but the children will have to register for the activity before they can attend. To
decide on activities I will survey the children to see what their interests are. The activities
will include such things as games, reading or movies. The activities will be held after I
shadow Miss Robinson on 3/1/05, 3/8/05 and 3/22/05. They will last for one hr. The final
activity day will occur on 3/29/05 and will be an activity and a party for the children. This
activity will last for two hrs. and the children will receive personal invitations to attend the
party.
G. Beyond the required Project Verification and Project Log, list specifically how you will verify your project
and the steps you took to complete this project for the judges and your classroom teacher. As
verification of the Project component is a student’s responsibility, list specific examples of verification
you will supply.
(Verification can be in the form of emails, certificates, letters written and received, permission slips, photographs, videos, receipts, programs, audience
feedback, etc.)
I will be creating a scrapbook for my project and the children will be journaling about their
experience with me. I will be presenting excerpts from the journal and will document the
children’s feelings about feeling accepted and their opinions about the activities that I have
planned for them
4. Part II. Building Supports
If you are doing something that requires the approval and/or assistance of a business, club, agency,
church, or instructor other than your mentor, you must specifically identify your contact person(s), your
agreed upon course of action, and any additional information that explains the arrangements you have
made to complete your project.
Example: Glory Days…
I will be discussing with the Director of Children’s Hospital my schedule and setting the exact times and
dates for meetings. His name is Harry Kamp, as noted above. His number is 724-287-7596.
Part III. Paying Attention to Details
A. Attach completed Project time line to proposal.
5. Part IV. Approval!
Date Project Submitted _____________________
Student’s signature ____________________________ Parent/Guardian signature____________________
Project Conference Date _________________________
Comments or Questions:
_____ Project Approved
_____ Project Approved with Reservation
_____ Project Revision Requested resubmit work by __________
Teacher Signature _________________________ Date _______________
6. Project Time Line
Project Time Line
Part 1 – Brainstorm Part 1 – Tasks Completed
List below tasks already completed in the planning or initial stages of your project. Note
Brainstorm date of completion remaining materials or sources used.
approximate below any and all and explain tasks needed to successfully complete your project.
Be sure to break larger tasks into the smaller steps. (For example: It is not enough to list as a task,
“Set up rehearsal schedule.” What do you need to get done to set up a rehearsal schedule?
Develop a phone chain, construct a calendar of dates, contact and set up a Used to rehearse, etc.)
Task Materials/Sources place Date
You may include any tasks already completed. Consider ALL aspects of the project and
product including materials, mentor meetings, interviews, phone calls, emails, classes, construction,
research, etc.
- Form a survey (pass out survey, collect survey, record data)
- Get parent permission letters for pictures
- Get a scrapbook and supplies
- Keep journal of shadowing experiences
- Plan activities for each date
- Get supplies for the activities
- Make invitations for final party
- Complete scrapbook for the final party to share with the children
Part 2 – Brainstorm
Brainstorm below any and all remaining tasks needed to successfully complete your project. Be sure
to break larger tasks into the smaller steps. Consider ALL aspects of the project and product including
materials, mentor meetings, interviews, phone calls, emails, classes, construction, research, etc.
7. Part 2 – Time line
Review, organize, and prioritize the tasks in Step 1. List each task below in anticipated order
of completion and estimate the time you will need to complete the task. Be sure to refer to the
calendar of Senior Project due dates and any personal commitments.
Task Estimated Anticipated
Time to Completion
Complete Date
Form a survey (pass out survey, collect survey, record data) 5 hrs. 2/26/05
Get parent permission letters for pictures (write the letter) 3 hrs. 2/28/05
Get a scrapbook and supplies 20 mins. 2/28/05
Keep journal of shadowing experiences 2 hrs. 3/30/05
Plan activities for each date 9 hrs. Thurs. before each
activity
Get supplies for the activities 20 mins. each Fri. before each
activity activity
Make invitations for final party 20 mins. 3/23/05
Complete scrapbook for the final party to share with the children 4 hrs. 3/25/05
Conduct the activities with the children 1 hr. 3/29/05
(Add more rows as necessary.)
Notes/Thoughts:
8. Mentor Questions
• Why did you choose this person to help you with your project? What special skills or abilities does he/she have?
• When did you meet with him/her? What was his/her reaction to what you are planning? What advice did he/she
offer?
• If you would choose this adult as your mentor for the project, how accessible is he/she? (A minimum of three
mentor meetings is required) Are there specific things that this adult has already agreed to assist you with?
I chose Mr. Harry Kamp as my mentor because he is the Activities Coordinator for
Children’s Hospital. He plans weekly activities for the children in the entire hospital. He
also ensures that the children have books, toys, and movies to enjoy. He will be helpful
because he can ensure that I am completing all of the steps needed to have a successful
activity.
I met with Mr. Kamp on February 1, 2005 at 3:00 in his office at the Children’s
Hospital. He was excited that he will have someone doing his job for the Saturday’s in
the month of May. He told me that it is important to schedule activities that the children
would enjoy and be interested in rather than an activity that would just be easy for me to
plan. He told me that it will be time consuming to plan this many activities because of
the many health issues you must consider.
Mr. Kamp is available to meet with me every Saturday before or after the
scheduled activity. Along with this, we have exchanged email addresses so we can
remain in contact throughout the weeks. Mr. Kamp needs to constantly know what
activities I will be planning to make sure that we are able to include the majority of the
children. Mr. Kamp is very willing to assist me in completing a successful senior project.
He has already agreed to assist me with planning activities that will be appropriate for all
of the children. He will also assist me with gathering the health information needed to
ensure this.