The Graduation Project: A Brief History

By December 1st, seniors are required to submit the first portion of their Digital Portfolios and will submit their video presentations on March 1st, 2024. The project allowed students to reflect on their time at Perkiomen Valley High School. 

“It gives you a nice perspective on the things and activities you’ve done here,” Mrs. Kate Kelley, Career Counselor, said. “When you create the videos and the site, you’re highlighting some technical skills you’ve had and developed throughout high school.” 

Originally, the graduation project focused more on physical presentation. Community members would form panels and students would have to present their projects in around 15-20 minutes. The projects would also include a written component. But with the onset of the COVID pandemic, a shift was made to a more digital format. Remnants of these older systems remain for PV students at North Montco Technical Career Center, who are required to submit a graduation projection tailored to their technical focus. 

“I will say the way mine was set up was good preparation for college,” Maya Scheuerman, a 2022 PV graduate, said. “In my example, the paper was a good way of demonstrating my knowledge of disease processes.”

The current digital portfolio has evolved from its initial inception and will continue to change in accordance with state policy, such as Act 158. “We will probably make it to match state requirements, and so it will evolve and change as it goes,” Mrs. Kelley said.