High School Graduation Projects

Yesterday, Renee Goodnight and I had the honor of being judges of the graduation project presentations at Northwest Cabarrus High School (one of our two high schools in Kannapolis). Renee has been a judge in the past (as has our Mayor), but this was my first time.

The graduation project is a relatively new requirement in both the Cabarrus County and the Kannapolis School Systems, although it has not been mandated by the state. Seniors pick a research topic, spend time with a mentor (someone in the community) to learn more about the topic, write a short paper, and develop a “product” related to the topic. The project culminates in a portfolio that shows the student’s work and a 7-10 minute presentation in front of judges (community volunteers). These are all good skills that students need to develop to succeed in higher education and the “real world”.

I was a judge for six presentations, with topics ranging including the Beatles, World War II, and photography. Even though some students were more nervous than others, they all did a good job in their presentations and clearly showed the amount of work put into their projects. The most impressive product was a bass guitar built by the Beatles student!

Congrats to all the seniors on achieving this milestone, and best wishes in your future endeavors! We hope to see you back in Kannapolis putting all of your education and skills to use!