I believe that hands-on learning is crucial for the development of 10th and 11th graders. For the last few months, I have had the privilege of teaching these students how to use basic tools and build things. In this process, I have witnessed the importance of giving students the opportunity to work with their hands and see the results of their work. Not only do they learn practical skills, but they also gain a sense of confidence and accomplishment that comes with building something from scratch. Throughout this experience, I have seen firsthand the value of teaching basic tools and their applications in real life, as well as the positive impact it has on students’ personal growth and development.

The capstone at Science Leadership Academy allows students to showcase what it is that they have a passion for and how they want to do it. For me that happened to be finance. I’m glad I was able to teach the kids a very useful life lesson that I hope stays with them for the rest of their lives.

SLA at Beeber is home to many clubs, sports, extracurriculars, and other activities. Fitting to this theme of the community at SLA Beeber, I took on trying to establish the school’s gardening club since being stopped as a result of the pandemic. The purpose of my Capstone project was to revive the school’s gardening club and have it set up for the incoming class this fall and other students in the school. My plan for bringing back the school’s gardening club was to discuss with Ms. Sasso what needed to be done and planning stuff for next year. This was not my original plan and is actually the third thing I thought of doing, but I think it turned out better than I thought it would have. The actual club was never officially put into place this year, but I decided on organizing everything I figured would be needed to be prepared to start it up again next year. The Capstone project overall is a dense task and was tough to go into with no plan but after I just decided on something that I think would be useful and give back to the school, it was all straightforward from there. In the end, I do hope that my plans for the gardening club will be carried out and that a difference was made in putting in the work to restore it.

For my Capstone project, titled “Self-Expression: Embedding Healthy Habits at a Young Age,” I developed a mini-course aimed at fostering healthy habits of self-expression in lower school children. Through interactive activities such as journaling, coloring, and vision boards, I provided students with outlets to express their emotions and learn effective communication skills. Drawing on research highlighting the negative consequences of inadequate self-expression resources for children, I aimed to address this issue and promote emotional intelligence and self-awareness. By incorporating techniques like color psychology and daily reading check-ins, I sought to equip children with the tools to identify and manage their emotions. Throughout the project, I discovered the value of teaching children healthy expression habits and the positive impact of activities like dancing, dream boards, and journaling. Following a lesson plan that included journaling, analyzing inspirational quotes, and engaging in creative activities like painting, I witnessed positive reactions from the students and fostered an environment where they felt heard and understood. By providing students with options and opportunities for collaboration, I enhanced their engagement and sense of control over their education. The project highlighted the importance of teaching healthy self-expression habits to children, laying the foundation for their personal and social development while preparing them for a brighter future.