While Communities is known for its various projects, the second semester introduces Communities Junior Projects. These Junior Projects are different from the average seminar or project in Communities. “Students have a lot more voice and choice than in other projects. The students are able to work with community partners and become the project managers,” explained Brad Weber, English and Leadership teacher in the Communities Program.
With 11 different projects, the students were able to choose the one that they found most interesting. They made these selections at the end of February. Among them were many returning projects, such as Bike Osh, where the students will help plan pit stops and coordinate the event. There are several new projects this year. One being, SMART Social, a community-wide campaign that aims to raise awareness about the impacts of screen and social media use on the mental health of kids, teens, and adults.
All of the choices have students very excited about the upcoming projects. Junior Callie Rudoll said, “My junior project is OASD school gardens. I am looking forward to being involved in a very hands-on project and working with Mr. Fochs and Mr. Leib to restore the last of the school gardens in Oshkosh.”
Getting all of these opportunities for the students isn’t an easy task. It takes many phone calls and meetings during the first semester to coordinate. That is where Communities coordinator Susie Leib comes in. She makes sure that different opportunities are available for the students. She explained, “These 11 junior projects represent the very essence of Communities. Each one is student-led, giving our juniors the opportunity to step into meaningful leadership roles, solve real problems, and see their ideas come to life. At the same time, they are only possible because of the incredible support of our community partners. The partnership creates a true dual benefit – our students gain hand-on experience and mentorship from professionals, and our partners have the chance to invest directly in the next generation of leaders. It’s authentic, impactful work on both sides.”
Most of the planning and project partner meetings will take place in March, and then many groups will have their events in May. There will be a lot of work that goes into these junior projects, but the opportunity for real-life work experience (and sometimes frustrations) will be great for the students. Stay tuned for future updates about the various projects!
