At the start of the 2023-2024 school year, the Twin Falls School District approved changes to the Senior Project and Junior Board to remove some stress for our school’s upperclassmen, according to Mr. Scott Thompson, Interim Principal at Canyon Ridge High School.

For the last few school years, seniors were required to have 30 hours minimum, a mentor, a log of the 30 hours, and a journal of what they did throughout the mentoring. Juniors had to present their Junior Boards to two select judges and pass their informative speech and board presentation criteria to continue to their Senior Project.

With the project changes starting this school year, seniors now have a 15-hour minimum, mentors are no longer required, hours do not have to be logged, and the journal is no longer a requirement. Students receiving an Associate or an Academic or GEM certificate are exempt from the Senior Project.

Juniors no longer have to present their Junior Boards to a panel of select teachers since their advisory teacher now approves their Senior Project idea if it meets the criteria. Juniors also don’t have to file paperwork for their advisory teacher and board judges or have to find a mentor.

The Twin Falls School District passed these changes to, “Take a little bit off their plate and make the seniors a little bit more responsible for getting it done themselves,” said Mr. Thompson, “Lots of seniors didn’t do their hours over the summer, and there was lots of pressure to try and get that all taken care of.”

If seniors are currently working on their project, they have to follow the old criteria; however, if they haven’t started their Senior Project or couldn’t find a mentor, they are automatically eligible to follow the new criteria. No matter the situation, the Seniors of ‘24 will be required to present their tri-fold at the open house on March 18th and present before a panel of teachers on March 21st.

According to Mr. Thompson, the project is a “trial run” this year, and if the administration feels the need to bump the project back up to 30 hours because the student body is not benefiting from the changes, they will revert. “Students should be taking the project more to heart instead of being something administration makes them do.” While the district decides the parameters of a Senior Project, the requirement to complete some form of a senior project is a State of Idaho requirement.

The Senior Project presentation criteria fall under five categories: the introduction, the body of the presentation, the conclusion, the presentation technique, and replies to any panel questions. Seniors should deliver their presentations within seven to ten minutes and score high in the categories above. Seniors are also scored on the information on their tri-fold and how they present it when questioned.

The Junior Board criteria now fall under the following categories: the introduction, project description, research question, community connection, learning stretch, cost analysis, time analysis, and the project proposal. Juniors still have to fill out the questions relating to their project proposal, but instead of presenting to two select judges, they now present to their advisory teacher.

Both criteria are subject to change alongside the Junior Board and Senior Projects, but these will be the new criteria until further notice from the Twin Falls School District.