Seniors Explore Passions, Topics and Ideas in May Term

From building websites to pool tables, seniors capped their final year at Parker with exciting and informative projects as part of May Term. The class of 2024 spent the last two weeks of their final semester diving deep into passion projects connected to civic resonance and Parker’s mission.

Led by Visual Arts and Graphic Design teacher Travis Chandler and Director of Studies Sven Carlsson, Senior May Term is a unique opportunity for students to explore their interests while applying what they have learned during their time at Parker. Projects included research, practical application, a connection to civics and gratitude and reflection.

“May Term aims to give students the precious experience of creating, developing and succeeding in a meaningful project of their own design,” Chandler said. “This enables students to experience agency through goal-setting, revision, documentation, perseverance and learning and develop greater awareness of how they hope to impact the world and what they hope to pursue in life—professionally or otherwise.”

Students could work in groups or individually, and the range of topics demonstrated the uniqueness of the class itself. One group traversed the city to film short videos of Chicagoans answering questions to spread some positivity across social media, while another student documented their journey of fostering kittens. Several students volunteered at various nonprofits, while others applied practical skills such as coding and design thinking to helping others or explore new information.

May Term is a culmination of the Parker experience and an excellent way for seniors to show the skills they have learned before going off on their next adventures in life. Congratulations, seniors!

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