My capstone is documentation of the the SLA student-run Art Festival and the student-run film festival Rocketfest with an interview of Torian Ugworji about the impact festivals can have for creators as well as the pitfalls present within the industry.
Hello my name is Aidan Simas and my capstone project is a documentary on the opioid crisis. I chose to do this project because the opioid crisis is so prevalent in my day to day commute to school. To complete this project I needed to plan what I wanted my documentary to look like. I spent a long time just gathering B-roll footage and gathering leads for interviews. It took a lot of effort and late nights to put everything together towards the end. Not to mention that a lot of my ideas didn’t end up working out. I am proud of the research that went into this project the most. I gathered a lot of statistics and credible resources, and I kept an ear out for information about the opioid crisis in my day to day life. I listened to a lot of stories about people who lost loved ones to these drugs. I learned a lot about the reality of addiction and the opioid crisis. Not just on a personal level but on a societal and economic level. I’ve always known this has been a problem but I now see it for what it truly is, it is a cancer.
Capstone product attached: https://www.wevideo.com/view/3452369001
As a graduate for the year of 2024, for my senior capstone project I developed a website that is purposed around a question-and-answer, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for Science Leadership Academy (SLA), Center City specific questions. This project was developed to be an informational hub for SLA specific answers, so that students, whether they are current SLA students or upcoming students, are able to find quick answers for any questions they have. Although the database is not as broadscale as it was supposed to be, as in the fact that it doesn’t know about every teacher nor does it know about every current event, it knows about a few teachers, serving as the start of something that could be further improved by anyone who wants to pursue the capstone in the future. And if no one wants to pursue it, that’s completely fine! Since the reason for its proposition was to lessen the fear mongering brought forward due to AI advancements, and show the good things AI can do under the right intentions and hands.
And , if someone does end up trying to further improve it, I hope this paragraph will help you. The languages I needed a basic understanding of are Python, Javascript, CSS, and HTML, which I already knew a bit about. Resources to learn include: W3schools, YouTube, and Codecademy. The AI, the python code, is the backend – cannot be seen – of the website, while the HTML, CSS, and Javascript are the frontend of the website – can be seen. For the AI, look into FAISS, Hugging Face, and Langchain. For hosting the website, look into Vercel, and for hosting the Python app, look into Pythonanywhere, Heroku, or Render. That’s it, good luck!
Website (AI may or may not be down atm): https://slagpt.vercel.app/
Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IpLb-_myW_AXVRYiibjFVCnllIKxPdHkntVrypc4mGU/edit?usp=sharing
My capstone is about the misrepresentation of Black Women/girls in media. Throughout my capstone, I kept asking myself “How to take back my narrative?”. In a mini case study, I asked multiple Black girls from different backgrounds how they wanted to be represented and this is their response. I wanted to do something that I knew that I was going to be proud of and in the making of my capstone, I succeeded.
The idea for my capstone is to connect with as many communities as I can and share as much love as I can. I would like to start practicing some networking skills before I go to college. As the product of my capstone, I decided to make appreciation cards and send them to various organizations. One of my favorite hobbies is to scrapbook and journal. This is a perfect mixture of a passion project and for me to improve on my networking skills. I learned to create opportunities for myself and problem solve when things do not go as planned. I also learned to appreciate the little things more.
This is one of the workshops we did during our club. We made affirmation posters for this workshop. There were many other workshops such as making cards for disabled kids, and thanksgiving card fundraiser.
This is one of our club members making a card for disabled kid. They were sent to various organizations such as Cards for Hospitalized Kids and The Confetti Foundation.
This is a close up example of one of the cards. This was made by one of the club founders. Many stickers were used to brighten up the cards and bring personality to the paper.
My goal for my capstone was to invest in other people’s lives in a way that related to my future. I assistant coached a neighborhood recreation center’s first softball team and then created a lesson plan focused on building teamwork. This lesson plan was based on my observations on improvements that could be made during their practices and games. My family has been part of this recreation center for many years so I have a passion for working with and helping the kids who are participating on its teams. I have watched sports my entire life and have also had the opportunity to be on multiple different teams through my athletic career. Throughout both of these experiences, I have noticed and acknowledged how important teamwork can be in achieving wins and a healthy team environment.
Going into capstone brainstorming, I knew I wanted to make something app related and something that would help me and other people as well. I looked back on some of my struggles from past years and tried to see if I could address any of the problems I had. In the end I came up with a Todo App designed for students that is also integrated with Canvas. During Freshman and Sophomore year I really struggled with disorganization and Procrastination and If i had an app where i could keep track of my personal tasks and school related tasks, that would have been one less thing getting in the way of my academic success. After roughly 90 hours of work, I ended up with my app, Simplicity. Simplicity is essentially 2 apps combined to one. Students can use Simplicity like a regular todo app with features like favorite tasks and categories, but at the same time they have the option to connect the app to Canvas and utilize the app to view course grades and upcoming assignments.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jFJdL1glunVhMDfnAsAwE8zu76V_iksCdGK1JlLD7lA/edit?usp=sharing
I decided to base my capstone on mental health. Specifically, women facing Domestic Abuse. The inspiration for why I based my capstone on Domestic Abuse, was due to having close relatives and friends who had previously gone through this traumatic experience. Countless stories are being told every single day. But I wanted to take the initiative to uplift those who have once experienced Domestic Abuse. Mental Health is one of the most important elements of well-being. After hearing story after story, and some of the mechanisms people do when they’re in a state of anxiety, shame, guilt, and so on, people tend to make decisions that they’ll either later regret or get trapped in a state where they keep every emotion “bottled up”. For my capstone, I did countless research on safe havens I could potentially reach out to and form activities. That had been one of the most challenging factors I had to endure. Although it had been challenging, I learned that networking is one of the most important skills a person should have throughout their lives.
Volunteering at a safe haven came with many rules and regulations. For instance; Certain pictures and recordings aren’t allowed due to the safety of each woman, which is why my visuals are only a few images, one recording of an interview I did with one of the staff members, and a resume I had created for one of the girls. My visuals represent some of the activities The Girls and I did.
My athletic journey, for my capstone I chose to write all about it. From the time I was born all the way until now whether by my own will or my parents influence i’ve been physically active. That being said, physical activity has been such a big part of my life and who I am. In turn I’ve naturally taken interest in health as a big part of being and remaining active is making sure your body is capable of the activity itself. I would argue that this is especially true when sports are a factor. Sports not only magnified my interest in activity but also health as your ability to perform and compete are reliant on your health. Even if I’m not using my body for a sport I enjoy recreational activity. In all of this it is easy especially for athletes to become narrow minded in terms of health. Their physical body is what their sport, team and performance require right? Though that is true there is so much more that goes into sports and physical activity than your body. It is extremely important especially for athletes to be conscious of that. Other factors that impact health as well as performance are one’s physical, mental and spiritual health. For those who may not be athletes, physical health is still very important. Not only does physical health impact your physical health but the same relationship goes both ways. Without mental will it is hard to stay in shape but with unhealthy physical tendencies one’s mental health can be consequently damaged also.
My first idea was organizing a charity drive to pay for items needed at the EasterSeals school to make adaptive toys and switches. However, I was unfortunately not able to get the funding or resources for this idea and later decided it was best for me to scrap it. Nonetheless I developed a few more ideas during my advisory where I was able to receive peer feedback. I then decided I wanted to do pamphlets for the incoming interns for EasterSeals. I started this by reflecting back on my own internship experience by digging through old videos and notes I’ve taken and turning the information into a digital capsule. I wanted to showcase the many toys we could adapt with switches, but I knew It was something missing from my project. This later led me to helping Torian with a group of students who were already working on some adaptive switches. We plan to make adaptive wireless toy cars compatible with a wifi connection to smartphones and also some regular toys with adaptive switches. Though we weren’t able to meet the goal yet with the physical making of the toys, I was still able to reach my goal. I aspire to spread awareness on behavioral health and inform those around me on ways they can help. Keeping this in mind helps me make my project significant to not just me but those around me as well
Website (with bibliography): https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/fortheloveofthrifting?usp=sharing
I created a website with a guide for thrifting in Philly, while educating viewers on the topic of thrifting and its benefits vs. alternative, more common methods of shopping. I made purchases at most of the stores I visited and used them to curate outfits and photographed them on myself and 3 other models. I knew I wanted to do something related to clothing and fashion, and when my first idea didn’t pan out due to funds I thought doing something based on thrifting, an affordable alternative which I am passionate about, would be a good idea. I learned a lot about what thrifting means to low income communities and how gentrification has poorly impacted them, yes in terms of affordable housing, but also affordable clothing. Thrifting has long been a method of acquiring affordable clothing in low income communities for the working class. It has since been noticed as a trend by middle class citizens who have hijacked the business model and blurred the line between thrifting and reselling more expensive or rarer items, sometimes for even higher prices. This new demand has caused many thrifts to appeal to these wealthier customers, thus taking away from those working class citizens. One of my greatest joys this year has been thrifting and putting together new looks and people have started to notice. Underclassmen have been coming up to me asking where I got pants or a jacket and I’m happy to tell them to come watch my capstone presentation to give them some sauce so they can expand their own closets with something unique and true to them.
For my capstone, I researched the history of printmaking and its role in social movements. I then designed, carved, and printed my own linocut prints about the issues and movements I care about. I will be distributing copies of my prints, to friends and family, as well as around my neighborhood. I chose this project because I have a passion for printmaking, as well as social justice, and I was interested in seeing how they go hand in hand, in the past and present. I also wanted to learn more about printmaking technique, and be able to work on my printmaking skills in a fulfilling way. I’m really proud of my final prints, and I plan on continuing to make more prints and collaborate with other artists and activists in Philadelphia to make art for change.
For my capstone, I filmed and edited a video on the history, core values, and benefits of Science Leadership Academy. I wanted to make something for possibly people looking to apply, or anyone who wants to know more, really. I interviewed Mr. Lehmann and some students to get not only my own perspective, but the perspective of many others about the community and history of SLA.
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/13G8bA2bdnKWx6JpWviC21qjo-H8UlCq_
Hello Everyone,
My name is Leonardo Perez. This is my final capstone for my senior project. I based my project on a bike. I noticed that it is common to ride a bike to school due to parking and traffic. Sometimes people leave late from school due to practice, grading, or catching up on homework. It can get dark really fast. I asked my peers what problems they face when biking at night. The main complaint was “headlights for incoming bikers”. I decided to place a circuit board on a bike to keep the bikers safe during the night time.
During this process, I gathered my materials which included LED lights, glow in the dark paint, UV light, wires, and a circuit board. I also made a few pieces on my own with the help of a 3D printer. 3D modeling was the biggest obstacle I faced. I had to print out multiple versions of the model for appropriate size and sturdiness. The models would break easily or sometimes not fit to plug in the UV LED light. All these complications took many hours to readjust, but the time was worth it to make the appropriate final product.
It was difficult to put everything together. But I really enjoyed building this. During my sophomore year, I enjoyed learning about circuits because it was fun and it challenged my mind on how to properly run a circuit. It was a challenge but I enjoyed every bit of this process.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CtwLcIJVePkY7VgaAdrFiqN78kLagoy5l3UyJqkcGfY/edit?usp=sharing
My capstone was a mini-course at SLA-MS called “How Things Work”. In the mini-course, I taught to a group of nine 8th graders how different objects/concepts that we use in everyday life from the engineering perspective. The goal of the course was to encourage younger students to ask questions and understand how the world works. I wanted to teach something that I actually cared about and not just an engineering concept to fulfill my engineering requirement and those five weeks merged both lanes. What ended up being five lessons enhanced my presentation skills since I was talking to an audience that I was not at all familiar with. It also helped me realize the extent of what I’m capable of when I truly put my mind to it and make a plan of action.
Link to lessons: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yrX30eGClzRAraDUtSko6MRXaB6r0h5V?usp=sharing
Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZkViFy394_DOmQRg5YbM_KA0KqkiK4SBAB4pcHBSv7k/edit?usp=sharing
My capstone project focused on designing and fabricating a left-handed camera harness and grip to enhance accessibility for individuals with disabilities, particularly those affecting right-hand mobility. Motivated by a friend’s inability to operate conventional cameras due to design flaws, the project aimed to address a significant gap in accessible design within the feild of photography. The iterative process involved collaboration with a seamstress and leveraging resources from the robotics team to refine the design and ensure durability. Through prototyping and testing, the final product incorporated custom components and a unique latch-and-release system, allowing for easy detachment and maneuverability. Alongside technical challenges, the project fostered a sense of community, emphasizing the importance of inclusive design grounded in user feedback and collaboration. This project highlighted the complexities of translating design concepts into tangible solutions and the significance of effective communication in understanding user needs. Despite initial setbacks and uncertainties, the project culminated in a transformative tool that not only addressed a specific accessibility issue but also inspired passion and innovation within the engineering community. Moving forward, the project aims to share its design openly, promoting accessibility and inclusion in photography equipment beyond its immediate scope.
Link to bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CDOmh3_ebudFlgktEVKsC1iSWizCNF1WGP3exZu5WFg/edit?usp=sharing
For my capstone, I researched and analyzed the environmental and financial consequences of converting SEPTA’s current bus fleet into all-electric, zero-emission fleet.
Global warming is causing severe damage to our planet. It is destroying habitats, increasing weather-related disasters, and leading to higher sea levels, all of which harm people and wildlife. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by human activity are a main contributor to climate change.
About 30% of US’s total emissions and about 15% of global emissions come from the transportation sector. About 80% of these emissions are from burning fossil fuels to power road vehicles. About a quarter of transportation emissions come from medium or heavy duty vehicles, including commercial buses.
One way to decrease transportation-related emissions is to switch fuels, to not only use vehicles that are powered by fossil fuels. An example is to convert gas-powered vehicles to electric or hybrid ones that rely on electricity from renewable sources.
As a frequent rider of public transportation, I wondered: Would it make a difference, in terms of emissions and cost, if SEPTA’s bus fleet were converted to e-buses?
Capstone (More sources are listed in the last few pages of the paper): First Link
Bibliography: Second Link
For my capstone project, I restored a bike for someone to have an easier time traveling through the city of Philadelphia. I used many donations which included the bike to restore the bike in the SLA engineering shop over the past couple of months. I decided to do this project because many people don’t have a reliable mode of transportation. Many can’t afford cars or the maintenance to keep them up, and with Septa becoming less reliable over the past few years many people who need to travel across the city have very good options and reliable options to get around. This is why I decided to use a restored bike, to give someone the reliable mode of transportation they need.
This project required me to learn to use many different tools to fix the bike. While also did plenty of research on bikes in collaboration with my local bike shop to get this project done. After 99 hours of work where I traveled gathering parts and information, The bike is finally done and ready to be given away.
Link to bibliography:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GF04IPi2x6D1ygwXjq4_fKbggDU3DUd-tGz3zElNkjE/edit?usp=sharing
My capstone project is a combination of my love for nature and engineering. I knew I wanted to do something, not only to help out the environment but also inspire people to do the same. I settled on creating nesting shelves for birds like robins. I researched the needs of different bird species and their various nesting needs before deciding to target robins. I purchased a plank of pine from Home Depot and, with the guidance of Mr. Kamal, cut and fashioned it into my nesting shelf. Along the way in my free time, I created an educational pamphlet to inform people on the importance of native birds and their importance in their ecosystems.
For my project i wrote a fantasy story. I read through and edited it twice and had someone else read through it as well. I learned that writing is hard, writer’s block is a difficult obstacle to get by, and to always make sure that you are enjoying what you are writing, because it gets significantly harder if you aren’t.
For my capstone, I wanted to make sure it’d be something I’d enjoy, which led me to the thought of having an art show. There are a lot of artistic students at our school, so I wanted my capstone to allow students in my school to show their creativity and thoughts through their work. Sort of like an outlet for others’ art. My process was difficult for me, especially in the beginning . I decided to collaborate with my art teacher, Ms. Angeles, to bring people’s attention to art done by others in SLA. I had to learn to put myself in front of people and advertise my show, something I’ve never done before till now. When it came to setting up the show in April, I had great help from some underclassmen. Having an art show is a great way to get people to connect and spark others’ minds. That is something that we need in the world, and I decided to start by doing here.
To see photos of the Art Show, click this link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1spqXeyU48u4uFCxwKK3BfdmzBas2tWw6bMui46NVuSA/edit?usp=sharing
The Car Maintenance Guide For First Time Car Owners was a guide designed to help new car owners. Not only was it made for first time car owners but it could be used by people who may have had more than one car and yet still don’t understand much about what certain parts of their cars do or are telling them.
In the beginning of my capstone I had originally planned to do an EMT course and demonstrate my skills and understanding from the course to help educate others at our school. In the end I didn’t get much support therefore I had to change my capstone to another passion I had. This passions prime focus was on cars.
I have always loved cars since I was a young kid, but what I loved more was taking things apart and putting them back together. I was a Lego kid, and one summer I got the chance to work on someone’s car and try and figure out what part of the car did what and how did it work? with all these questions I wanted to know more.
For my capstone I decided I would try and understand as much about certain car parts not just for myself but to also inform others so they can fix there car without having to pay someone a lot of money for a maintenance that they could do on their own. This became my capstone, which was to make a guide to help inform those who don’t know much about their own car.
For my Senior Capstone I decided to create an informative Tik Tok page dedicated to teaching teens about the importance of having hobbies. The content on the page ranged from tutorials on different hobbies, examples of my experience participating in those hobbies, and how to make time for hobbies during school life. I chose this project after reflecting on my experiences during my junior year of school, and how hobbies helped get me out of a bad rut. During my junior year I struggled with finding the motivation to keep up with my responsibilities, and I found that after taking the time to participate in activities that made me happy I managed to pick myself back up and apply this new passion to my responsibilities. I felt that if I had had someone talk to me about finding a hobby that brought me joy earlier on in my high school career I would’ve had an easier time during my junior year, so I wanted to pass my knowledge along to anyone it might help.
For my capstone, I wanted to connect with my community, and learn from others. This website is a collection of audios from many different kinds of people, answering the question “what would you do if you could speak to your younger self?” The interviews are either in English and in Spanish, and each one is transcribed in both the original and translated language. They are organized by age on different pages. With such a broad scope of topics, my hope was that anyone who wanted advice or a specific question answered, they could find it here.
Link to website: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/liadunakin-capstone/home
For my senior capstone project, I created a K-pop dance club and then created a website where all of the memories taken through the months we’ve met at the K-pop club in it. One of my biggest challenges was staying consistent with my project. I knew I wanted to start a club where I would be able to meet new people and try out new things. My original plan was to start an Asian Community Club but then I realized that idea was way too broad and to start a stable club, I would need to be more specific about what kind of category I want it to fall into. Once I knew what I wanted to do, I went straight into advertising and even got two amazing dance instructors. We meet every Wednesday to enjoy ourselves, dance, and talk about K-pop!
Here is my website: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/kpop-dance-club-of-sla/about
