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For my Capstone Project, I designed a 6 week mini course focused on outdoor education. The goal was to help students at SLA Center City gain better access to green spaces in Philadelphia and provide them with tools and resources to explore the natural environment surrounding them more often. I wanted to give SLA students better opportunities to learn more about the environment around them and understand the benefits of spending time outdoors — especially for their mental and physical health. I learned so much from doing this project, it not only inspired me to become more active in getting city kids access to the outdoors, it sparked my interest in a potential career in teaching. I hope this Mini Course can continue on in future years of SLA because getting these students outside of the classroom is so beneficial.

I chose this project because I’ve always been passionate about outdoor education. For two years, I interned with the outdoor education program at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, which deepened my commitment to helping young people connect with nature. Going to school in the middle of Philadelphia, I’ve seen how difficult it can be for students to access green spaces, yet spending time in nature has clear benefits for both mental and physical health. With this project, I wanted to give SLA students the opportunity to explore and learn more about the natural environment around them—no matter where they live in the city.

At first, the idea of planning multiple two-hour lessons for a class of freshmen felt overwhelming, but the experience went by much faster than I expected. A key part of the process was implementing the lesson plans I created each week. I prepared weekly slideshows that outlined the topic, provided a clear structure for the session, and included lots of activities to keep students engaged.

Fashion waste is a massive modern problem. It is a very avoidable contributor to a lot of Earth’s climate issues. A great way to avoid this issue is by thrifting. I recently discovered my love for thrifting and realized the importance of second-hand clothing. This reminded me of a capstone that promoted sustainable fashion practices through thrifting called the SLA Drop N Shop. This project involved getting donations of second-hand clothing from the community and putting it out for free to show how simply passing something on can do a lot. So I took this project and expanded. First, I started by reaching out to my community, both in my neighborhood and at SLA. After a few weeks of donations, I got everything ready to set up. Persevering through a few roadblocks, I was able to get clothing racks and hangers from school and set up. At first, things were slow, but as I advertised myself, I could see more and more attention. I started noticing regulars stopping by, lots of empty hangers, and people wearing thrifted clothing around school. A few highlights included one of my friends getting their prom shoes from the shop and another student finding formal clothing for an interview. In the final week, I took whatever was left and donated it all to those in need. In the end, I created a project that brought together different people and brought out the community’s generosity. I learned a lot about planning and promoting a call to action.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jb9EBFHaSUwx4Qpb2Gg57sVWvsg-1bNCiCUxg7QdxOA/edit?tab=t.0

For my Capstone, I created and ran an eight-week mini-course about sharks and ocean conservation for the Class of 2028. I’ve always been passionate about marine life, so I wanted to share that with younger students in a way that was both educational and fun. Each week, I taught a lesson on topics like shark biology, ocean pollution, and how humans affect the environment, followed by a game or activity to help reinforce what we talked about. One of my favorite parts was teaming up with the Photography mini-course for a creative lesson that brought the two subjects together. I worked closely with my mentor, Ms. Bradley, and asked for advice from other students who had led mini-courses before. There were definitely challenges—especially with keeping students focused and balancing everything with my other responsibilities—but I learned how to adapt and improve with each class. This project helped me grow in leadership, time management, and communication. I’m proud that I was able to create a space where students could learn something new and have fun doing it. I hope my mini-course left them more curious about the world and more aware of how important it is to protect the ocean.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IcM_-4RBrIcWZm0Gd7uXBKZgz84QJkljnzeibYZvlaQ/edit?usp=sharing

For my Capstone project, I restarted and ran the chess club on Fridays. I also made a poster to put in the advisory memo to get more people to hear about it. In the chess club, I had a few lessons that I made and geared toward beginner players to teach them the basics of chess.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZOCwc5W2Fsg-X8ozKaFXSe6XFEpBVsISxWMXcvMG6Ys/edit?usp=sharing

At the beginning of this year, during the brainstorming process of capstones, I thought a lot about what kind of project I wanted to submit — one that I would be able to enjoy creating, and that I valued personally. After having spent lots of time on the terrace, I noticed how it lacked color and warmth. To combat this, I decided I wanted to create a vibrant and intricate piece on one of the walls that would make the space more inviting for the SLA community. The project is inspired mainly by Claude Monet’s depictions of the earth, as well as the fine line works of Japanese botanical art. By combining the two, I was able to create a design that reflected my artistic style and goals. In addition to this, I collaborated with Aviva Boix to create a cohesive design of a Philadelphia skyline mosaic, blended with a naturalistic mural.

This project involved a lot of moving parts, including research for how to complete an artwork at this scale, pitching at Braskem to receive funding, purchasing materials, communicating with various building staff to discuss how to go about the project, and of course, painting the physical design. There were many setbacks in this project, mainly including communication issues and inconvenient weather. However, through this, we learned how important explicit communication is, and to define time constraints before beginning a complicated project such as this one. At this time, our project is not completed, however the evidence below shows our continued efforts of finishing the piece and being able to present a polished capstone.

For my capstone, I created a mosaic of city hall and its surrounding buildings on the terrace. My mosaic was inspired by Isaiah Zagar’s Philadelphia Magic Gardens and other mosaics of his. I wanted to emulate his use of mirrors and found objects in my piece. My mosaic was also inspired by Faith Ringgold’s vibrant quilts of Brooklyn’s skyline. I wanted to use color in the same joyful way that she did in her artwork. I worked with Darby on my project, and she did the mural of the sky and buildings that surround my mosaic. I chose to do my project on the terrace because it is one of the main spaces where students eat lunch and hang out, and it can be very dismal, especially during the winter months. I collaborated with SLA staff, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia Magic Gardens, and friends at school to source materials for this project. Throughout this project, I practiced communicating with people in a professional setting, time management, and my overall artistic skills. My hope with this project is that it will liven up the terrace and will be a source of inspiration for future students to also challenge themselves to take on a large scale art project. Due to weather conditions and various other factors, Darby and I were not able to start creating our mural/mosaic until the week of capstone presentations. The image below reflects the progress we have made so far. We intend to finish by the end of this week.

For my Capstone, I created a video series to help people understand how to start an online business. I wanted to make something that felt clear and approachable, especially for other students at SLA who are creative and might want to turn their ideas into something real. The videos are organized into playlists that focus on different types of businesses, like selling physical products, digital products, or even just showcasing your work through a portfolio.

Throughout the process, I talked to real business owners, used my own experiences, and did a lot of research to figure out what beginners actually need to know. I spent time writing scripts, organizing ideas, and thinking about how to make the information helpful and easy to follow. My mentor gave me feedback along the way, and I made sure to stick to a schedule so I could stay on track and complete everything on time.

This project taught me how to take something big and break it down into pieces that make sense. I also learned how to communicate more clearly and plan long-term, which is something I know will help me in the future. Overall, my Capstone gave me a chance to do something meaningful while also helping others who might want to start their own business but aren’t sure where to begin.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsoTYNaKs0Ft_Dmy857PnAuNCgzLdZdwl&si=2o6f58u2ih3LwcvO

My Capstone is a highlight reel of the 2025 SLA Ultimate Team, and it is meant to bring attention and excitement to SLA’s Ultimate Frisbee team. I had to plan out every shot, determine which days I would film, actually film the shots, and then compile them all together into one product. The video is meant to show what the kids on the team do and why the sport matters to them. Each catch, throw, and huddle brought this team closer together. The players’ team became a family because of this sport, and so I highlighted the best moments of our year. I learned how to edit better, match clips, do motion tracking, and film in various environments. I hope this capstone brings you as much joy as it did for us.

• Side Note: I was originally going to create 3 separate reels (Ultimate, LAX, Baseball), but there was an issue where 50% of the Capstone was deleted too close to the deadline. In the end, I chose to focus on Ultimate.

Final Product: https://youtu.be/_xnZB-bwhwA?si=Mozz3JlpYTHtAQ2u

For my Capstone I talked about how music had evolved in the past century specify how jazz, rock and hip hop had evolved since they were first introduced but also what impact they had. The impact these genres had on the world were fashion, literature and civil rights like how rock influenced fashion jumpsuits, combat boots as well as unique fashion styles. An example of this is Elton John who used such dazzling fashion style mainly when it came to what he wore when he performed on stage. As a way to show what the music artists style that I talked about were I used some of their songs to show why people enjoyed their music.

At Science Leadership Academy, the core values of inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation, and reflection serve as a guide for every student’s education and experience. When senior year started and it came time to develop a capstone that represented who I am, it felt natural and inspiring. For my capstone project, I created an after-school program at SLA where students could learn how to produce music and gain basic knowledge of the business side of the music industry. Classes ranged from Q&As to complete walk-throughs of creating a beat. During the last class, I had a guest speaker come in to share his years of industry experience with the students, motivating and inspiring them to persevere.

 My Capstone is a recipe/memoir website. I give my favorite recipes that I developed myself and made multiple times throughout high school and I give corresponding stories/ explanation to each website. Cooking and baking were one of my favorite hobbies in high school. I feel like each recipe I use resonates with a person or a memory from my life so I wanted to include this in my website. i developed recipes individually and then I assigned a story or an important detail of my life to each recipe to represent how cooking has helped people.

Bibliography https://docs.google.com/document/d/1copCKxbEdncy-IkdV_7K3Dfx0ObX0ikXc1oiFq37Ydk/edit?usp=sharing

Hello! My name is Reese Sanderson and my capstone project was about reproductive health awareness. Under this overall goal, there were two main aspects of my capstone; getting period product disposal bins in all of the gender-neutral and girls bathroom stalls at SLA (for throwing away used period products), and a period symptom/cramp awareness campaign. As for why I chose to do this for my capstone project, the reason is simple: I saw a problem and wanted to be part of the solution. Menstruating individuals at SLA were forced to carry their used period products outside of the bathroom stall in order to dispose of them. With the social stigma surrounding periods, this is a really tough ask. Myself and many others had expressed frustration with the lack of trash cans in stalls and the unnecessary stress and discomfort it added to our school day every month. Additionally, as co-president and co-founder of the Reproductive Health Alliance (RHA) at SLA, I knew I wanted my capstone project to address reproductive issues like these. The question was, what could I do about it?

I started off by discussing with my fellow club members of RHA to see if they were interested in solving this issue as well, to which they all enthusiastically agreed. From there, I set up meetings with Mr. Lehman and Mr. Mike (the building engineer) to discuss possibilities and eventually order the bins. Many meetings and after school hours of planning went into the idea and execution of the Bin Decorating Event. By promoting the event and installation of the period product disposal bins through hanging up posters, and making announcements to advisory’s and over the PA, we were able to have a very successful event! There were tons of students involved (across genders as well!), which helped to ensure that the bins would be understood for what they are, and treated respectfully in the stalls.

The RHA and I also hosted a Period Cramp Simulator event in the commons, using a muscle cramping device and sticky pads as shown in the pictures. This event succeeded in introducing menstruation and common menstrual symptoms as a topic of conversation across genders at SLA. The event provided insight for people who do not experience menstrual cramps, and demonstrated what it might be like to go throughout the day or week with this symptom. As an often dismissed issue, it was encouraging to see people come to an understanding with what period cramps are like and gain empathy for those who deal with it.

For my capstone project, I created a full rebrand for Science Leadership Academy athletics called Rockets Refresh. I started with our school’s lack of visual identity and school spirit by designing new, modern, professional-grade logos for the SLA Rockets. As someone who loves graphic design and is invested in SLA’s culture, I saw this project as the perfect opportunity to hone my skills and bridge my passions, and create a lasting impact on the SLA community. For the process, I spent much of my time refining my graphic design skills, learning Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop in order to make my final result as professional as possible. Throughout this process, I learned technical design skills and valuable lessons in time management and creative problem-solving. On top of that, I developed a deeper understanding of how visual branding can shape identity and pride within a community.

Rocket Refresh is more than a logo, it is a step toward a stronger school culture. It gives students something to rally for and athletes something to wear with pride. I hope this rebrand can become official and become part of the legacy I wish to leave behind: one that helps unify the school, show spirit, and elevate how SLA presents itself to the world.

My capstone is about what it’s like to be a senior at sla. The goal of me doing this capstone was to show people who are rising seniors what it’s like to be a senior in highschool and most importantly sla. My capstone is a 7 minute video describing what it’s like to be a senior. The thing about this capstone that can also be good for people who might feel overwhelmed with moving up to being a senior.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UKRr9AxDKlixPcqE1whtH4xl1imJmRQU/view?usp=drive_link (The video)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18NUAV4RKrsO-YLxTHVjP2zQtEJvIRkfGvZAI-20drIk/edit?usp=sharing (The script I used)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a5njeLlJ5kR2UJWKx_8RGrzdHVLFgCrvkF2rPnWRZ3E/edit?usp=sharing (The old one)

For my capstone, I crocheted beanies and bonding squares for newborns and donated them to Mother’s Home, a women’s shelter in Upper Darby. This place provides shelter and support for pregnant women in crisis who choose to have their babies, helping them transition into motherhood. Items like bonding squares are especially important for babies in the NICU, where direct contact with their mothers may be limited. These squares are used in pairs, one is kept with the mother and the other with the baby, then they are swapped regularly so the baby can become familiar with the mother’s scent. This supports emotional bonding and healthy development. The beanies help newborns regulate their body temperature, which is something they often struggle with after birth. I started learning how to crochet as a sophomore in high school, so this project allowed me to combine a personal hobby with meaningful community service.

Bibliography

https://superheroprojectinc.org/preemie-hat-patterns/

This foundation works with other hospitals in the Philadelphia area with donations. On their website they have patterns for people to follow to make donations, I used their preemie hat pattern.

Bibliography

https://superheroprojectinc.org/preemie-hat-patterns/

This foundation works with other hospitals in the Philadelphia area with donations. On their website they have patterns for people to follow to make donations, I used their preemie hat pattern.

For my capstone, I decided to make a large canvas painting of the Ocean, flaws and all. This process involved a lot of planning ahead, such as selecting and ordering materials I would need to create such a project. At first my plan was to create a mural on an actual SLA wall, but I eventually figured that it would be too much work to fill an entire wall. I modified my plan so that I could take my canvas home and work on it whenever I wanted, which worked really well for me. Being able to work on the painting at home in my free time was important, because I didn’t feel pressured to work all the time, I was able to take breaks. This project is meant to go along with the SLA 2025 yearbook cover and theme, since we are the graduating class this year. This project helped me learn the responsibility of pacing and using my time wisely.

My capstone addressed the imbalance of student enrollment between the Engineering and DigVid CTE courses at SLA, where DigVid has always experienced significantly lower interest. The primary cause was identified as the lack of an introductory experience for DigVid, unlike the Engineering program’s “Engineering 101”. This disparity led to students applying to DigVid without firsthand knowledge, relying solely on faith and often losing interest quickly. To remedy this, I created a DigVid Mini Course that was created to provide freshmen with foundational video production knowledge and practical experience. The minicourse was structured as an eight-week program covering camera basics, photography principles, video genres, and production stages, culminating in group projects to create short films. I recruited Upperclassmen mentors who were recruited for support, and Nikon DSLR cameras were used for hands-on training.

For my Senior Capstone, my partner Ian and I created an expanded version of Media Day, a photography-based project that celebrates student-athletes at Science Leadership Academy. Together, we reimagined the project to not only photograph underclassmen and senior athletes, but also to edit and design custom-framed portraits as heartfelt gifts for each graduating senior. I worked hard, and it was not as difficult because of my passion for photography and sports. I aimed to capture more than just images, I wanted to highlight the pride, emotion, and dedication each athlete brings to their sport. Throughout the process, I engaged deeply with SLA’s core values, Inquiry led me to ask how to make each portrait feel personal and powerful, Research helped me learn about studio lighting, posing, and editing techniques, Collaboration taught me flexibility, especially when Ian had to work remotely due to medical challenges, and Presentation mattered as we created both a school display and personal keepsakes, and Reflection helped me grow in confidence, creativity, and leadership. The most meaningful part was when people were showing up and were excited to take their pictures. During the shoots, there were many moments of joy and appreciation. This project allowed me to turn something I love into something that honors others, leaving a lasting impact on the SLA community. I’m proud to have created something that made athletes feel seen and valued, while also showing how far passion and dedication can go when shared with purpose.

For my capstone I wanted to boost the school morale and create a stronger sense of Community here at SLA. During my past 4 years I realized that there was a lack of school events that brought students together so my partner Jon and I decided to do a students vs teachers basketball game with halftime events. As well as a concession stand that raised money for the SLA Basketball team. Throughout the process I was able to learn the power of collaboration, leadership, and the significance of building a relationship with your school community. It shows how student led projects can personally influence the support system in a school and the culture. It also showed how school morale is created through shared experiences.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ML_UT9yrwonRS_1Vdo5m6CvHYr9UPfd3?usp=drive_link

For my capstone, I spent the school year learning the ropes of Adobe Illustrator’s software and its different tools, created a set of example projects for future CTE students to recreate, and produced a set of video tutorials for these projects guiding viewers through learning the most fundamental basics of Adobe Illustrator.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QUC-KzetWZkQZgsLd2HH99ws-zimoMnK?usp=sharing

Throughout my high school career, I was not only recognized as a student but also as a student-athlete. For my capstone project I designed a platform called ‘Deflection’, where all student athletes can speak about their own experiences and feelings that they are having as they navigate their own journey through being a student athlete. The goal of this platform was to not only increase communication but to also expand education on the topic around sports psychology. The inquiry, research, and reflection aspect of this project connects to the whole idea surrounding learning with collaboration and how sports, although often competitive, can show how the teamwork aspect can be even more beneficial. I got a lot of good feedback and comments from various athletes around the school and I am hoping to keep this platform running after I graduate so a larger community can be built.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dgnCFRh1fU9vp0U4_T4MqeZ43_oGS3dpdD5qFy-YHew/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone I created three promotional videos for SLA. They’re meant to educate and excite prospective students and families about what SLA has to offer. I planned, filmed, and edited each video. I filmed tons of candid B-roll of SLA students and conducted interviews with staff and students. Each video is meant to highlight a different aspect of the school. The first video is a general highlight reel that shows the school community and has a bunch of students discussing SLA spliced together. The second showcases the CTE programs, with students and teachers describing them. The third explains mini courses and the intended impact of them while showcasing the different options. There were so many different parts of SLA that I wanted to focus on through these videos. I ended up creating what I thought would be most important for prospective families to understand, and also what the administration thought would be most helpful. I learned so much through this process about collaborating with other people, editing, and camera techniques.

Here’s a link to the videos

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DnaFapQ907BhNZvPOsD083OGFNJ9hjM2?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I created “Conscience” – a 4-minute animated story featuring 7 student voice actors. The animation also comes with an original storyboard and script, along with a soundtrack of 5 original songs. It was animated on Adobe Animate, edited on Kinemaster, and all music was composed on GarageBand. Roughly 4200 frames were created in total.

Through this project, I got the experience of scripting, storyboarding, composing, animating, working with a team in order to make a film.

Watch here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/119MPFMJs2BsCYQnRoMKW2vb91V-WUEi7/view?usp=sharing