The Independent Study program is a voluntary program for 8th grade students and an amazing creative outlet. The program was created for students who want to learn and explore topics not in the school curriculum. There is no discrimination against who is accepted, anyone with ideas is welcome, and no one is turned down because of their grades. Over the course of seven months, you will meet with dedicated high school mentors and work on projects that you will present to the school and families by the end of the year. The purpose of the program? It is whatever you make it. You decide your purpose. You design the goals you want to achieve and what your project will mean to you. Basically, your individual project should reflect yourself, your goals, and your purpose for participating!
What should i Study for my project?
You can study ANYTHING that you want for your project. As long as you feel passionate about the subject and will be able to create a project that can be completed throughout the duration of the school year, you are free to study it. In the past people have done photography, cinematography, writing, fashion design, physics, painting, poetry, directing, cooking, chemistry, music composition, computer science, astronomy, and these are just to name a few. If you have an idea for a project, you can explore it. THERE ARE NO GUIDELINES
Who Runs Independent Study?
Independent Study was started four years ago at Roosevelt Intermediate School by Alexa Zepka, who was an eighth grader at the time. Since then, the program was taken over and revamped by Sarah Davidson, Kaitlin Abrams, and Rebecca Plotkin and recently expanded to Edison Intermediate School. The current coordinators are Maya Jonsson and Ceci Fountain-Jardim, who continue to run Independent Study with passion and enthusiasm. Jeffrey Robbins, eighth grade Science teacher at Roosevelt Intermediate School, also helps with the coordination of Independent Study at RIS, and Mrs. Schumacher, vice principal at Edison Intermediate School, helps with coordination at EIS. Each one of these people are enthusiastic about helping the students explore their creativity reach their goals.
What are Mentors?
Mentors are students in Westfield High School who guide the eighth graders throughout the course of their Independent Study project during the year. The high school students are paired with an eighth grader, depending on shared interests, ideas, and work habits. Mentors are matched up with students who they will be able to offer the best guidance to. Mentors must apply for the position, and their applications are read carefully to make sure they will be dedicated to the program and to their student.
what is a mentor required to do?
Mentors are required to guide their student throughout the process of their project. They may give advice, offer guidance, help to set timelines, and generally keep the student on track. Although the mentor is there to help the student, it is not their project, and they should not be the one completing the work.
A mentor will typically meet with their student about once a week at RIS, EIS, or the Westfield Public Library. The scheduling of meetings is done between the mentor and the mentee depending on their given schedules.
WHat are the differences between the Roosevelt TR Scholar program and the RIS/Eis Independent Study program?
There are many differences between the TR Scholar and Independent Study. The first, and perhaps largest difference, are the subjects available for study. TR Scholar offers subjects that are already taught in Roosevelt school, where as Independent Study is not limited to the subjects offered at the school. Students can explore anything they are interested in including photography, cinematography, directing, cooking, fashion, chemistry, architecture, interior design, sports related, physics, etc. The students may chose whatever they wish to explore as a topic, as long as they can create a project off of their interest. Another difference is that TR Scholar only accepts a select number of students, where as Independent Study is open to any student who is willing to explore a topic. TR Scholar also has a grade requirement of A's and B's in all classes, where as Independent Study is open to any students who want to expand their knowledge of a certain subject. Another major difference between the two programs is that TR Scholar requires a strict guideline given to the student, which states what they need to do by the end of the year. Independent Study allows the students to chose what it is that they would like to show as a finished product at the end of the year and the steps they want to take to get there. Students work at their own pace. They are able to set their own deadlines throughout the course, and meet their own goals. The mentor is merely there to guide them along, keep them on task, and answer questions. The mentor DOES NOT tell them what to do, how do do it, or when to do it by. The students must figure this out on their own. Finally, TR Scholar participants are given a teacher at Roosevelt to work with, depending on what subject they chose. Independent Study participants are matched with high school mentors who have similar interests to their own and will guide them throughout the project's process.
This is not to say that one program is better than the other, the one you chose should fit your needs. How you work is a very important factor in choosing which of these programs is right for you. (Note: Neither program is mandatory and it is not suggested that students participate in both programs because of the large time commitment).