Talia Femia Capstone

For my capstone, I created a podcast focused on the importance of young voters, addressing how to engage students and debunking common misconceptions about why young adults avoid civic participation. Alongside the podcast, I built a website where visitors can listen to episodes, read brief summaries, and access voter registration resources. The goal was to create a dedicated platform for students who feel lost on the topic of voting, and a tool teachers can share in the classroom.I chose this project because, as a newly registered voter, I noticed my peers had the same questions but nowhere to turn for clear answers. I wanted to build something creative and genuinely useful because I personally learn better by listening than reading.The process was largely trial and error. Researching reliable data, recording interviews, stitching audio together, and building the website. My biggest challenge was teaching myself audio editing using WeVideo to combine recordings, add transitions, and clean up sound quality. Looking back, I’m most proud of the podcast itself. I went in nervous and came out satisfied with a product I believe fills a real gap for students my age. If I did it again, I’d skip the rigid script, conversation flows better when you aren’t following lines of writing. I would also explore better audio editing software.This project reflects everything SLA taught me, to ask questions, research deeply, collaborate openly, and create with purpose. I’m proud to leave something behind that future students can actually use.

Website

Bibliography

Adrian Marrero Capstone

Me and Grey want to create a 4-6 episode TV show for the sole purpose of making our audience laugh. Since we both grew up in south philly we want to highlight the culture of south philly and how the stereotypes that are often related with south philly aren’t an accurate representation of the area. I believe that it is important for students to learn about different cultures specially in philly high schools because people come from very different backgrounds. We are doing this to see how our version of philly is viewed by other people. This will help us answer the question of how audiences portray different stereotypes. We also want to inspire the youth. Since me and Grey only have a small amount of experiences with film making and script writing. We want to show that all it takes is creativity, experience, and determination to create a high quality film production.

Link to Capstone - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vt0u6s1RqTDVkKkZItcmtgsgl2SYM03d/view?usp=sharing

Bibliography -

GP and AM bibliography (1) (2)

Gabriel Bellitta Capstone

As the year ends and my Capstone must come to a conclusion, I present a work that represents the ability that has been given to me by going to the SLA CTE Film Program. In Freshman year, everyone heard that as their final graduation requirement they would need to submit a major project, one that was built by your creativity and based on everything you learned from the school and honored your beliefs and the school’s well being. Immediately after hearing this, I immediately saw an opportunity to seize the moment and crystallize my idea of making one of my dreams start to come true. To make this project a horror film, and one true to me. This is not my Magnum Opus, but a beginning to the rest of my life and my carrier, I will seek more and more improvement as this was a great learning experience, please enjoy my spooky film!!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17fVQolaxbeEQ5sO-XVTnpcKB9hJyiD1I?usp=sharing

DEVIL’S
DEVIL’S

Ignacio Lorenzo Capstone

Hello my name is Ignacio. For my capstone project, I created a book site called “Eat Real”. This website was designed to target 9th and 10th graders at SLA to make healthier choices on a student budget. This project originated from a simple observation that most students at SLA were making food choices everyday without actually understanding nutrition. I wanted to change that by creating something that was useful for students. This included the basics of nutrition, how to read food labels, recipes of my own, and tips and tricks to start to become more healthier. During the process I researched to understand real life barriers like cost, time, and food access which ultimately was different for many students. What I learned throughout the process was how to take research and turn it into something accessible for students. Overall this capstone helped me become more knowledgeable in areas I wasn’t and I was able to provide many students the right information helping them make better food choices.

Link to website : https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/eatreal/home

Camilla Jemiri Capstone

My senior capstone project focused on exploring long-standing cultural restaurants throughout Philadelphia and highlighting the stories behind them. For this project, I visited restaurants from different cultural backgrounds and neighborhoods, including Jamaican, Italian, and Mexican cuisine. Some of the restaurants I researched and reviewed included Little Delicious in Southwest Philadelphia, Ralph’s Italian restaurant in South Philadelphia, and Tequila’s in Rittenhouse Square. I created both a physical and a digital website that allows people to learn about these restaurants, write reviews, view photos, and access transportation directions through Google Maps links. I chose this project because I wanted to highlight small businesses that often tell important stories about culture, family, and community connection.

The pamphlets will be printed for viewing for my presentation, and will be available in the office for any student to come and take!

Link to Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l1nqcFD4AzIfZIJiQ-IKh-o3ax536B4dWrCEjsUiK8s/edit?usp=sharing

The QR code above will take you to my website. I will also provide the link to my website here: https://camillameg.github.io/Flavors-of-Philly/index.html
Flavors of Philly Pamphlet

Juniper Nims Capstone - Bedside Table(au)s

Teenage bedrooms act as a sanctuary, a place to be yourself, where you’re allowed to make yourself at home, making the room completely yours. For many, this involves the accumulation of items, utilitarian or decorative, on any surface available. The things we keep closest to us, most easily accessible at our most vulnerable-in our sleep-say a lot about us. Medicine, lamps, receipts, lotion, glasses, contacts, coins, keys, books, writing utensils, old food/drink. They show that we are more alike than it may appear. That at the end of the day we’re all just humans. However, not every teenager has the luxury of closely collecting material items that reflect who they are, or their daily routines, not every teenager has the luxury of a bedside table, or even a bed. My peers and I are extremely lucky to be able to participate in the material citizenship conveyed through this exhibit. All proceeds raised from the opening reception will be donated to Covenant House to support meals, housing, healthcare, and essential services for youth experiencing homelessness and trafficking in Philadelphia. - Juniper Nims

My capstone project was Bedside Table(au)s, a photo series featuring 20 Philadelphia teenagers bedside tables. The opening reception for the exhibit was a benefit for Covenant House PA, held on May 6th. The reception included performances by the SLA rock band, a DIY collage table, $5 and $1 secondhand clothing bins, handmade zines and snacks. It was a pay-what-u-wish event, and between entry donations, zine sales, and clothing sales, we raised $320 for CHPA. My mother donated this sum to CHPA through Comcast, her employer’s donation portal, which means Comcast will match that donation in 60 days-so $640 total to CHPA!

Slideshow

Bibliography

Process Paper

Madison George Capstone

For my senior capstone project I adapted two 12V ride-on cars to make these devices more accessible for children with limited mobility, specifically children with cerebral palsy. This consisted of rewiring the built-in pedal circuit in the car to an easy access, external pressure-sensitive button that acted as the new accelerator. Simultaneously, I created a standardized adaptation process across most ride-on cars documented in a series of different academic and workshop-style media: instructional video, written instructions, and a mini-lesson slide deck teaching about accessible design that other CTE Engineering teachers in the School District of Philadelphia can use.

This project took a lot of planning, communication with my mentor and adaptation support network, and research to complete. The biggest thing that I learned when leading big design projects like this one is to always have multiple backup plans, anticipate miscommunications and setbacks, and thoroughly define the purpose of the project (aka the big takeaway you want audience to have).

The goal of my capstone is to help define what affordable assistive technology is in the scope of autonomous mobility in an easy-access and digestible format, increase awareness of the importance and impact of these devices, and inspire young engineers to consider a career in human-centered design, just as I was encouraged during a multitude of experiences throughout high school.

WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
Step-By-Step Instructional Video: https://youtu.be/meXCypbN6Fg?si=0LFd1aucgwMUMD-v
HOW TO ADAPT TOY CAR_ Lesson
Link to slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VntIw0GpvwI1_Le9BvxSVnEjgbiweGwZFRAFSvMtuo4/edit?usp=sharing
DJI_20260123162843_0027_D
DJI_20260123162843_0027_D
DJI_20260123162726_0024_D
DJI_20260123162726_0024_D
DJI_20260123162854_0028_D
DJI_20260123162854_0028_D
Capstone Research

Twyla Watkins Capstone

For my Capstone, I interviewed Artists in Philly, asking about their careers and lives as artists. As an artist myself and someone hoping to pursue a career in the arts itś incredibly helpful to see how others operate in the art world. During my interviews, I took pictures of them. Some were just casual photos I took wherever we were. For example, for one, I met her in her house, so I took pictures of her with all the fabric she uses in her work. This created a very relaxed and personable project that doesn’t feel too unrealistic to obtain, something that other artists can look at and find relatability in. I tried to ask questions that would allow my interviewers to reflect on their own lives and why they’re passionate about what they do. Each interview is a tiny glimpse into their characters, and I hope I was able to capture each of their personalities. I think as artists it can be easy to not be taken seriously, it surprised me how every one of my interviewers had never been interviewed before. I felt this sense of responsibility that I had to be a space where they felt comfortable enough to open up about their lives. I think I accomplished this because leaving each interview, I felt that I had gained a connection worthwhile. Although I tried to keep it professional, I was able to connect with each of them and used them almost like a mentor for me.

Website: https://www.wevideo.com/view/4096604640

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iEDEdwTX1_tyGDAg0-GOHiRFlMwyLwN3L0uMdYftn6A/edit?usp=sharing

Oscar Bennett Capstone

For my capstone project I created a website designed to help students learn more about their teachers and who they are as a person. I did this by interviewing as many teachers as I could, and writing down key takeaways about their teaching style, classroom atmosphere, and advice for students. The goal for this was to be able to turn all the information I gathered into an easy to use resource that helps students be more comfortable before entering the classroom for the first time. This website helps create a stronger sense of community and connection between students and teachers. I always have felt a little intimidated and scared when walking into a new class for the first time, especially when the teacher is somebody I have never had before. I wanted to create something so that future students didn’t have to feel like they were blindly walking into a new classroom. I knew that I wanted to get information about teachers and compile them somehow for students to view, but I wasn’t sure what the best way to do that was. I decided a website would be the best way to combine all of the information I had because a website is both easy to use, and extremely accessible to future students.

Link to my Capstone Website Here: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/capstone/home
Link to Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13TTbnb8GXcGqh4nvQqLD58FgbCPj66HteYCT3DZCBQ8/edit?tab=t.cof3t0ri3zf8

Winslow Coleman Capstone

For my Capstone, I made 3 pieces of clothing using recycled fabric and garments that I no longer wear. My project revolved around sewing a unique t-shirt, hoodie, and sweatpants using the skills I learned along this process. In this day and age, it has become too common for people to discard clothes they don’t like or that have sustained minor damage. This project inspired me to reduce my overall clothing consumerism, while also teaching myself about sustainability through learning how to sew and mend. I want to promote using your old clothes to make new ones, and/or mending previously discarded clothes instead of repurchasing the same items brand-new.

Link to Clothing Gallery (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KHfF21Mbj8vg9y33y_hpSUzF2W6eFa5S?usp=drive_link)

Link to Annotated Bibliography (https://docs.google.com/document/d/12WYa9nvNcsZaplGOnO0IO84oz_VFgc-OaerKtn89_Yg/edit?usp=sharing)

Artifact:

Sweatpants (Front)
Sweatpants (Front)
Hoodie (Back)
Hoodie (Back)

Josie Hilton Capstone

My capstone focused on mental health support in the community of SLA. I wanted to highlight accessible sources and easy to use tools to better the resources and conversations we have about mental health in the form of a website! This topic was really important to me and something that I want to further explore in my educational journey. I spent the majority of my work time researching organizations, universities, and other websites to gain a true understanding of both my topic and how I could execute my idea. I learned a lot about the current support we have at SLA and how other schools and facilities navigate a hard topic like mental health. I gained more advanced research skills and was able to create a final product I feel would have helped me through my time at SLA.

Screenshot 2026-05-15 11.48.50 AM
Screenshot 2026-05-15 11.48.50 AM
https://scienceleadership.org/blog/josie_hilton_capstone/edit (Website)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-LCsxWZQA7eer9W-z5Y9VqXTKl517vt4DHST7VU-tVA/edit?usp=sharing (Annotated Bibliography)

Emra Pak Capstone

For my senior capstone project I made a nutrition website filled with basic information for high school students, specifically SLA students. Social media is a vessel for misinformation and scientific facts alike. As high schoolers, whose minds and bodies are easily affected by the media, it is hard to distinguish what is right and wrong. I chose this project because I wanted to help debunk misconceptions about teenage nutrition. My inquiry question was “How can I utilize technology as a public artifact to effectively and realistically influence teens in Philly to make better food options for their own health?” I chose this question as the basis of my project because of how technology affects all teenagers in the United States. I believe that health is not, but should be, a prioritized curriculum. Knowledge about how to fuel your body is absolutely essential, especially to high school students: the age group where children are the most impressionable. Technology is a tool used to create publicly accessible artifacts that will stay online forever. All kids have some form of technology where the internet is used whether that be district-issued chromebooks, personal laptops, phones, or iPads. My website would reach all of these devices which means information about health that students might lack could be at their fingertips in a matter of seconds.

Website: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/emrapak-seniorcapstone/home?authuser=0

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_fyBF9byeA_84UWGv-GFloDYXlciC09wzKDMgwaA0zU/edit?tab=t.0

Assales Hosni Capstone

Hey Everyone this is Assales! For my capstone project, I researched how teacher feedback affects student learning, motivation, and confidence in school. I wanted to explore why students often learn more from meaningful feedback than from simply receiving a grade. During the process, I looked at educational research, including ideas from John Hattie, while also reflecting on my own experiences with teachers who helped me improve through honest and supportive feedback. Writing this project helped me realize how much a teacher’s guidance can impact the way students view learning, mistakes, and personal growth. Overall, this capstone showed me that effective feedback can help students feel more engaged, confident, and motivated to improve over time.

Take a look! - https://docs.google.com/document/d/12GCO50uA7S4m7EvOyWrVR0dnkDoRtidw_ujYV9-okdI/edit?usp=sharing

Josh Ryan's Capstone

For my capstone, a friend and I worked together to build a series of devices we called nodes that would sync together in a mesh system that would allow people to communicate with each other without the use of cellular service, mainly focused on people who enjoy the wilderness, where service may be spotty depending on location. To do this, we used the basic software of an open-source project, mixed with added elements like a GPS antenna and our own cases to store everything in.

This capstone taught me a lot about building a product and the engineering process for perfecting one. While I’m not sure I want to pursue a career where I have to invent new things, this experience building my own invention will help me find new creative ways to solve problems. This project also taught me how to store and analyze different data points to better understand how the nodes were working and what we could do to improve reliability.

IMG_0324
IMG_0324
IMG_1983
IMG_1983

Hannah Stein Capstone

For my capstone, I built a wrist-worn heart rate monitor for my nonprofit rowing team, PCR. Rowing is an expensive sport, and my team works to make it accessible to kids who could not otherwise afford it. I wanted to contribute something that reflected that mentality.

The process started with a completely different idea. I originally planned to build a SpeedCoach, a device that tracks splits on the water, but after researching the cost and complexity, I had to pivot. I polled my teammates, landed on heart rate monitors, and went deep into research on how they work. Along the way, my anatomy teacher showed me data proving that heart rate monitors are less accurate for people with darker skin tones, which became a major focus of my research.

When talking to my teammates, they said reading a small number on a display while rowing was too difficult mid-stroke. So I designed the monitor around a circular ring of lights showing what percentage of your maximum heart rate you are at, with colors for each zone: blue for zone 1, green for zone 2, yellow for zone 3, orange for zone 4, and red for zone 5. At a glance, you know exactly where you are without breaking focus.

The biggest thing I learned is that building is a people process. Coaches, teammates, classmates, and even family solved problems I could not get alone. I also learned to trust making something over researching it before you start.

IMG_9338
IMG_9338
Hannah Stein- Annotated Bibliography Capstone

Beau Riviere Capstone

For my Senior Capstone I created a website called The Swing Blueprint, which is used to teach beginners the fundamental basics of the golf swing for no cost. The main purpose of making this website was to help beginners of the game get better without having to spend a ridiculous amount of money, so for The Swing Blueprint, users don’t have to give any money or get any subscription in order to use the website. The website divides the golf swing into seven different modules where there is an instructional video along with a mini quiz for each module to make it easier for anyone using the website to understand the information in the videos. I also designed the website to have a user tracking feature so that users can create an account to track their progress over time. After I got feedback from my peers I was told the website need to be more engaging for the users so I decided to implement a badges aspect to the website, so that when users completer a module they get a specific badge for that module to show they’ve mastered that skill. This website can be such as useful tool for anyone who is looking to get good at golf but doesn’t want to spend a ton of money on professional lessons because they can get the same information for free using The Swing Blueprint.

Final product: https://the-swing-blueprint-npos.vercel.app/

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LnuyTeZiOYyezrQfwYGB0mDY-FfVxwpXadIrk_D4PBA/edit?usp=sharing

Screenshot 2026-05-15 9.18.59 AM
Screenshot 2026-05-15 9.18.59 AM
Screenshot 2026-05-15 9.20.02 AM
Screenshot 2026-05-15 9.20.02 AM
Screenshot 2026-05-15 9.21.11 AM
Screenshot 2026-05-15 9.21.11 AM

Neamani Simpson Capstone

For my capstone project, I wanted to create something unique and meaningful that is not commonly seen. Rather than choosing a typical topic, I decided to design a project that would serve as a valuable resource for people who are interested in pursuing a career in nursing. Nursing is a diverse and essential profession, yet many people only have a limited understanding of what nurses do and the many different roles they can have within the healthcare system.

My goal was to develop a project that not only supports future nursing students but also educates the general public about the nursing profession. I wanted to provide clear and accessible information about the various types of nurses, their responsibilities, the education required for each role, and the impact they have on patients and communities around the world. By doing this, I hope to inspire students who are considering nursing as a career and help them better understand the opportunities available in this field.

In addition, this project gives individuals who may not know much about nursing a chance to learn more about the profession and appreciate the important contributions nurses make every day. Overall, my capstone project was created to inform, inspire, and increase awareness about the vital role of nurses in healthcare and society. Most of all I learned how to make a big project out of nothing, it hep me improvise and think more on my own.

https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/hotn/home?authuser=0

Milan Little Capstone

Sewology by Milan is the website that I decided to create for my capstone project. I chose to do it because I wanted to challenge myself, while also strengthening my craft. Spending 80 hours on a capstone project throughout the school year is something that is really demanding, and I wanted it to be something that I enjoyed doing. My interest in sewing started when I was assigned a passion project in Advanced Art last year with Ms. Angeles. At my previous school, I never got the opportunity to take art, so I was really excited when it was on my class roster. My passion project sort of followed the structure of a capstone project, with similar elements like documentation, trying a new skill, and doing a presentation. My passion project helped me with the beginning foundations of sewing, and also introduced me to being more independent when trying to start my own hobbies.

Bibliography - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n-9R6mHR17leeS2f5BX1vp3KYQOgGUn5tWtrplxQzuY/edit?usp=drivesdk

https://sewologybymilan.my.canva.site/
https://sewologybymilan.my.canva.site/

Geona Johnson Capstone

Hi, my name is Geona, and my capstone was mostly a target for teens. As I am currently a teen in their senior year of high school. Going through high school, I had noticed how much of a struggle  it can be when it comes to maintaining your mental health. Over my time at SLA, I had gone through many things like mental breakdowns, panic attacks, and more. Of course, it was never easy going through those experiences, but that’s how I learned how to cope with them. At first, I was just learning how to handle stuff by myself and was just always pushing my issues to the back of my mind until they built up and just came out when I became too overwhelmed. Then, eventually, I started to look at things that would relax my mind, which would usually be things like music and baking. These things just mostly helped me steady my mind on the task at hand, letting me not think about the things that I was worried about stressing me out at the moment. From learning this, that is what made me want to create my website, Sugar & Therapy. Being able to connect with other teens who deal with the same struggles through something therapeutic like baking videos makes me feel like I’m making an open space for teenagers who feel like their problems are never heard. So, overall, our mission at Sugar & Therapy is to add a little powder to your mind and give you comfort through something so simple as baking. So, I hope you enjoy looking into our mixer!

Link to my website: https://canva.link/wx9ucsm2d95x1ed
Link to my website: https://canva.link/wx9ucsm2d95x1ed
Annotated bibliography

Fern Duffy Capstone

My name is Fern Duffy, and I decided to write and perform a song as my capstone project, titled “5Fold”. This piece was created as an accompaniment to my friend Olivia Fitts’ animated show, “SLA Fivefold”. I grew up learning to play the violin, but as I’ve grown older, I have learned to play the acoustic guitar with help from my mentor and music teacher, Mark Castellano. He took me through the process of writing a song from start to finish, beginning with just an idea for the art I wanted to create and ending with a beautiful finished product. Throughout this journey, I worked with Lucia Meade, Alexander Kruszewski, and the SLA Rock Band to sing and perform at our own school auditorium and a local performance venue. Throughout this process, I learned what it takes to create my own chord progressions, take core values and turn them into meaningful lyrics, and even make a little solo. This capstone taught me more about myself than simply how to write a song. I took inspiration from the song “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac and “Four Strong Winds” by Neil Young to create this song, with a focus on repeated phrases and impactful lyrics. Throughout my process, I’ve learned that I love finding melodies and harmonies that are unique and invoke emotion. It has been so rewarding to learn this art form, and I am forever grateful to everyone who supported me in this journey.

Here is a link to check out my song with an opening animated by Olivia Fitts!

Click me!

Screenshot 2026-05-15 at 7.11.09 AM
Screenshot 2026-05-15 at 7.11.09 AM
Capstone Bibliography (1)

Angelina Olsen Capstone

Hii, my name is Angelina. My capstone project is a series of podcasting interviews mainly with attending students and some teachers. I wanted this series to be used to understand the depth of a Project based school. SLA has two exceptionally strong CTE programs, along with many clubs, sports and different activities within the school. I wanted opportunities to be highlighted so a different sense of the school and student input would be recognized. This High School is very student centered & driven, so to play on that theme, the questioning and research of high school students is essential. In my project the conversations are raw and honest, unfiltered, and some more edited than others, but all honestly reflecting SLA in the midst of wide experiences. My podcasting project is designed to assist prospective 8th grade students + families understand how project based learning is implemented in the curriculum and classroom.

Link to Presentation & Published Website Containing Interviews: https://www.canva.com/design/DAHIuFm7k1E/l3d6BPdGF-fjO54iifWpVw/edit

Jayden Vilayphanh - Capstone

For my senior capstone project, I created a documentary titled Behind the Screens: What It’s Like to Work in IT, which explores the responsibilities and importance of information technology professionals in modern workplaces. My documentary focused on two specific branches of IT: automation and data management. To create this project, I researched the IT field through articles, videos, and other sources while also interviewing two professionals currently working in these careers, such as my father, who works as an application administrator in automation, and my uncle, who works in data management. I filmed interviews, recorded narration, gathered additional footage, and edited everything together into a final documentary that explains how these careers help businesses operate efficiently and maintain important systems. Throughout this process, I learned how much planning, research, and editing goes into documentary production. I also gained a better understanding of how broad the IT field really is and how important these careers are in everyday life. This project helped me improve my time management, interviewing, and editing skills while creating a final product that highlights careers many people often overlook despite how essential they are to modern society.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w-lxC-tEKK_LhNWiygT4Eusvh8NYa44bjyk5dlV9X3I/edit?usp=sharing

LINK TO DOCUMENTARY: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U7Wn_xwfanDH2ZvIkBuSxyz1jINiyOnU/view?usp=sharing

Theo Lee Capstone

This Capstone showcases an independently written, filmed, edited, and published crash course comprising three lessons about digital video relevant subjects. The process of deciding what I wanted to do for my senior year capstone involved me having to look back on my first days and experiences in the Digital Video program, and asking, what would have made my time in DigVid a little easier?

While thinking back to those days about two years from when I began working on my capstone, it occurred to me that a lot of the curriculum of the program had to be shown through youtube videos, or screenshots from films, or examples of professional photography. And obviously, this is only because that is the best way to teach a visual medium: show examples of things that already exist on the internet. It’s difficult, (next to impossible, actually), to teach a subject like film and video production without presenting a visual to back you up. Because of this, DigVid was often taught through things like Youtube videos to help explain these visual subjects. Then I thought, now that I know these things that we’ve been learning and applying for three years, I would be equipped to be the one explaining them now, and I could be the one making the Youtube videos. And that’s how I ended up deciding on what I’d accomplish for my capstone.

Annotated Bibliography

Studio VYV. “APERTURE, SHUTTER SPEED and ISO/ the EXPOSURE TRIANGLE MADE EASY!” YouTube, 31 Jan. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2HSoOq-rfo. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025. In order to create videos that are successful in ensuring that the skills and information that I will be passing along and explaining in my videos are honed and prepared properly to be shared, it is important that I study the videos that already exist in the topic areas that I intend to center my capstone project on. This is a video about the exposure triangle, one of the six video topics that I plan on reproducing for my project. I have taken notes on this video as well, highlighting specific things that I think makes the video a successful explanation to viewers who may be inexperienced in this particular area.

Aputure. “Lighting 101: Intro to Light Placement.” YouTube, 27 Jan. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqMQZG68Wkc. This is another example of the kind of information that I intend to share in my capstone. Another aspect of my note-taking and research process has been writing down the things in these example videos that I think are not exactly helpful or something that I believe I can improve upon in my own videos. However, for this video, I have very little to criticize because I believe that it exceeds all of my own personal standards and expectations for what I’m trying to accomplish with the resources that I have available to me. This video is quick paced, simple, and heavily visual-reliant which works great to convey its message extremely effectively to its beginner audience.

RocketJump Film School. “Intro to Storyboarding.” YouTube, 24 Mar. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQsvhq28sOI. This is a video that I have watched and known about for many years at this point. I believe that this is the most effective explanation of what storyboarding is, and the things that you are able to accomplish with it. There are two elements to this video; pictures of the storyboards, and the final product of the shot that was created from it. And on top of these visuals is just a casual narration that provides context, explains the process, and goes over the technical aspects. But for the most part, this is a visual explanation. I will take lots of inspiration from this video, mainly the intent to be as simple with the explanation as possible.

Interview with mentor My mentor works professionally as a pastor. He is very familiar with the process of creating a draft of his message, his sermon, and then delivering that message in a way that engages the audience and allows others to connect with his words. I thought that he’d be a great help in aiding me with the script-writing process of my videos, as well as the actual recording and public speaking aspect of talking to a camera. This will be a very major part of my videos that I don’t intend to ignore, the person that is explaining something to you has to be interesting to listen to, which my mentor is very good at in my opinion.

Interview with professional I’ve talked to a professional in the writing/producing industry about my capstone project and what I intend to accomplish with my videos. What I gained from this conversation was that explaining the topics in my videos, since the target audience is intended to be towards beginners, will force me to put myself into the shoes of the people who will be watching my videos, ie; the tenth grade class of DigVid students. Oftentimes people who are more experienced in an area might gloss over seemingly obvious things to them that are not inherently obvious to newcomers, or they might let slip some jargon that only a select few people will catch and recognize its meaning. So I’ve become more aware that I should focus on making my videos friendly to beginners.

Tarantino, Quentin, and Roger Avary. PULP FICTION. https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pdf/scripts/pulp-fiction-1994.pdf?v=1729114975 One of my videos will be about how to write a screenplay. One of the most genius screenplays of all time in my opinion is of course Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary. I enjoy the movie just fine, but oftentimes I come to the screenplay for my favorite scenes and just read the words on this script and I’m able to experience the movie in a whole different way that somehow enhances the experience of digesting this story. I think this is a great example of a screenplay because it’s not so by the books, or straight like it was written by a robot. The words are free and loose, there is slang in the scene directions; it is a very creative piece of writing that I will cite heavily when making this particular video.

Aaron Sorkin. THE SOCIAL NETWORK. https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pdf/scripts/the-social-network-2010.pdf?v=1729115039 As opposed to the screenplay for Pulp Fiction, I find this screenplay to be a little more clean to look at in terms of its formatting. But that just goes to show the contrast between how writers choose to create their screenplays, and how much liberty they have in the way the screenplay turns out and eventually serves the production of turning these words into something visual that then becomes a feature film. There is no one way to write a screenplay, and I intend to show a wide variety of screenplays when I’m explaining in my video the process of creating one.

BrainBuffet – Self Serve Education. brainbuffet.com/. In the DigVid curriculum, we are given an account to Brain Buffet dot com, which has a bunch of different courses in basically all the types of Adobe sites. I’ve used it so far for Adobe Photoshop as well as Adobe Premiere. This is an incredibly rich and useful source for me as well because I intend to learn how to use another application called Adobe After Effects in order to edit my videos and provide helpful visuals to pair along my explanations. And I will also use these courses as secondary examples to study how professionals in this field might explain these concepts and topics to someone who is unfamiliar, like how I took notes on the three videos in my first sources.

“The Closer Look - YouTube.” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/channel/UCI9DUIgtRGHNH_HmSTcfUbA. Instead of just one video to look at, this is an entire youtube channel that I have been following and been subscribed to for a while now. This source is intended to be used for the video that I will make about writing tips and coming up with ideas for stories that you will tell in your films. I believe that behind every great film, is a strong script, so in my opinion being able to think like a creative is super important for creating engaging and meaningful pieces of art/content. The Closer Look youtube channel is perfect for those who struggle with the writing process, and I have learned a lot from this channel and grown much as a writer from it.

Detisch, AJ. “5 Cinematic Lighting Techniques Every Filmmaker Should Know.” StudioBinder, 28 Feb. 2019, www.studiobinder.com/blog/film-lighting-techniques/. And finally, through the process of my research for the sources that I’ve included in my capstone production, I felt as though my knowledge was lacking a bit in areas, or was being stretched a little thin as far as how much I actually knew and would be able to explain simply. This led to me finding StudioBinder, a website for pretty much everything about filmmaking. This is a specific article about lighting, something that I believe I should sharpen up my knowledge on; this way, I’ll be more confident in sharing this info with others. And you know what they say, if you can’t explain it simply, then you aren’t an expert on it.

Chloe Martine Perez Capstone

For my capstone project, I created a website called “College Aid Map,” designed to help students and families navigate college financial aid and costs. As a senior at Science Leadership Academy, I understand that the college process can get complicated very quickly. After speaking with other seniors, I realized that I was not the only one getting overwhelmed. Many students and parents begin the process without fully understanding how tuition works, what types of aid are available, or how to compare financial aid offers between schools. I wanted to create a tool that simplifies and provides reliable guidance in one accessible place. The purpose of College Aid Map is to serve as an “anchor source” that students and families can refer to whenever they feel uncertain during the college applications. Instead of searching through dozens of websites online containing information that can get really confusing, users can access clear and concise information and resources in one website. College Aid Map touches on fundamental concepts such as FAFSA, the importance of scholarships, loans and debt, college costs and resources that can help students and families stay organized throughout their journey. While researching for my website, I realized that the lack of understanding financial aid and costs stemmed from the confusing terminology and abundance of information thrown at you. I quickly took communication into account when completing this project to make things clear. College Aid Map can leave people feeling more prepared and informed to navigate the college financial aid process.

Link to website: https://sites.google.com/scienceleadership.org/collegeaidmap/home?authuser=0

Link to bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sEzivo3up_0EUPr4pcMR8I_WKNBRNDp8jYSU5lf8JHA/edit?usp=sharing

Screenshot 2026-05-15 at 1.42.23 AM
Screenshot 2026-05-15 at 1.42.23 AM

Johana Alexandre Capstone

For my Capstone project, I created a website about building safety and the importance of construction codes, inspections, and maintenance. My goal was to raise awareness about how buildings are supposed to be designed and built properly from the start, and how small mistakes or ignored problems can lead to serious collapses and loss of life. The website explains basic building structure, how different parts of a building work together, and what safe construction is supposed to look like. Then it shows how failures in inspection, maintenance, and oversight can cause things to go wrong over time. A major part of my project was honoring the victims and families affected by these disasters and ensuring their stories are not forgotten over time. I wanted the website to show respect for the lives lost and the families affected, while also explaining in a clear way what makes a building to collapse.

This project also gives ideas on how to prevent future collapses, like better inspections, following safety rules more strictly, and fixing problems early before they get worse. It can also help people who are interested in architecture understand how buildings are made and how important each step of the process is.

Throughout this Capstone, I learned that many disasters are preventable and often happen when problems are repeatedly overlooked instead of addressed. This project changed my perspective on the spaces people trust every day and helped me realize how much responsibility comes with designing and maintaining structures

Capstone: https://www.buildingscodes.com/

Bibliography below:

Bibliography