Each year, eighth grade students work on a year-long project in which they explore an area of interest. The students work with a mentor who guides them into forming a passion project.

Watch each eighth grade student’s presentation:

 

Eighth Grade Projects & Resources:

Exploring How BIPOC Owned Businesses Hold Up the Community
Mateo Baker-Djele

I am exploring how BIPOC owned businesses hold up the community through a short film. I will be presenting parts of my project at an event, “Finding Your Inner Wakanda” which is a collection of Black stories and art.

  • Support BIPOC businesses:

 

Gender Inequality in Professional Sports and Beyond
Odile Elliott

Gender Inequality in Professional sports is about Title Nine, The WNBA vs NBA salaries, and the US women’s national team’s lawsuit against US Soccer. I interviewed people involved in many different parts of women’s sports about their experiences as a woman in sports. Overall I am learning how important it is to think of and celebrate women’s sports the same way we do for men’s sports, and how we can know the facts to change the narrative. My community service is educating people about gender inequality who might not know or realize how big it is. It is part of my final project which is through a Zoom presentation.
Odile’s presentation: Gender Inequality in Professional Sports and Beyond
More resources: Support Women’s Sports

 

Grade School Cover Album
Katie Keech

My project is an album of eight covers I recorded. Each song is a favorite of mine from a year in grade school. My community service aspect is a schoolwide recording of One Voice, by the Wailin’ Jennys.

Climate Risk, Resiliency and Justice
Quinn Sunderland

The main product of my project is a website that I am building that gives solutions and information about the climate crisis. It is an exploration of what we need to do to save our planet. For my community service, I am presenting at the May 13th DEI Community Conversation meeting on the intersection of climate change, vulnerability, and race. Quinn’s website: Climate Risk, Resiliency and Justice

 

Being Yourself: LGBTQ+ Youth Support and Recognition
Luna Van Deusen

This Project is on the recognition of the need for support in the LGBTQ+ youth today. I have gathered answers from a survey I sent out a few months ago on people’s thoughts of the youth today in relation to my topic, and I compiled this information with my own experiences. I am working towards a booklet on this issue that I hope may help educate people on this issue.
Luna’s (digital version) booklet: Being Yourself: LGBTQ+ Youth Support and Recognition

 

Capturing Emotion Through Photography
Iris McLean

For my project, I have worked with photography as a way to express creativity. I am working toward answering my question of “how is emotion expressed with a photograph?” I’ve been learning and trying out editing skills with the pictures I’ve taken this past year. My community aspect includes creating a class yearbook of photographs taken over our grade school years.

Interior Shed Design
Alexis Gerlack

For my eighth grade project, I am renovating and redesigning the inside of the old shed in my backyard. For my community service, I will be volunteering time to beautifying indoor spaces at the Bostwick Road campus. 

Written Documentary On Gender Equality Through Sports
Juliette Macon

My Project is about gender equality in sports. I am gathering information from various sites and putting the information into a paper. The community service aspect of my project will be a fundraiser for Vermont Women’s Fund.
Juliette’s paper: Written Documentary On Gender Equality Through Sports

 

Pep: A Short Film
Henry Gibson

My project is a short film I am making about my favorite soccer coach, Pep Guardiola. It is a documentary about his life and how he operates as a coach. It will also include things about him when he played as a kid. I am making a pamphlet with examples of his soccer drills.
Henry’s film: Pep: A Short Film

 

Handmade Desk
Aidan Brown

For my project, I made a desk. It is a shaker desk known for simplicity and elegance. It is made out of maple and poplar wood. It has two drawers with store bought knobs. For my community service, I will be taking the wood chips from my project and fellow projects at the craft school and spreading them at Shelburne Dog Park.