A Passion Project is a chance for students in Public Service Practicum to become more involved with the community. Students have the option of helping each other with their Passion Project or leading a Passion Project.
Giving students the opportunity to lead a Passion Project builds character. In PSP, students learned about Kohlberg and his moral development theory.
“It reveals where our morals stem from,” said senior Lauren Mateling.
Most students who sign up for the class come out differently after learning. It gives them a different perspective of everyday life.
Having a different perspective, students learn more about how to use it towards their Passion Projects. They learn methods such as Raving Fans, Switch, and even Marketing to help pitch their ideas.
“Everything we learned leads up to this project, so to say it is anything less than impactful would just be insane,” said senior Max Sloan.
After finding out what they’re passionate about, the students plan out what they could do for their Passion Project with the new skills they’ve learned.
After creating the plan, students host an event. Whether the event is a dodgeball tournament, slam poetry session, or just a hang out, the students try to make an impact on the community and bring everyone together.
“The point is to raise awareness about important issues and partner with local organizations to address those issues, so even if a project is relatively small, students are going to hear about the issue and the organizations that are doing something about it,” said Chris Kubic, the PSP teacher.
Passion Projects are a tradition that helps many different parts of the community unite, raise awareness, and fundraise to organizations that need help.
Students are guided throughout the entire year and are taught useful skills that potentially help the community. Using the skills, the students make a project that takes place at different times throughout the second semester. Leaving their mark on GNHS, the PSP class continues to improve their Passion Projects to better the community.