For its third year back, Parker seniors are participating in “May Term,” an end-of-year program that takes inspiration from programs that debuted in the 1970s. Designed to provide seniors with the opportunity to dive deep into a personal interest, this experience was created by Visual Arts and Graphic Design Teacher, Travis Chandler, and Director of Studies, Sven Carlsson. This year, starting May 13, seniors stepped away from their regular classes to work on unique projects that ranged from personal passions to community service projects, ultimately showcasing what they completed in an end-of-term event.
In 2022, when May Term made its return, Chandler and Carlsson stated that they had to begin planning back in November of 2021. At the same time, they had to begin encouraging students to brainstorm for their project ideas early. This initiative is aimed at offering Parker seniors a chance to engage in self-directed learning, with hope that these projects would spark new passions and possibly direct people towards their future career choices.
Chandler’s inspiration to take on the head role of May Term at Parker stems from his own transformative experience with a project similar to this. As a high school student at Roycemore in Evanston, Chandler participated in a similar program called January Short Term, where he studied Alfred Hitchcock’s films. This exploration of cinema was an important moment in his life, leading towards a lifelong passion for film that influenced many of his academic and career choices. Looking back on this experience in 2021, Chandler was motivated to recreate such opportunities for seniors at Parker.
The planning process for May Term is tedious and begins from nearly the start of the school year. According to Carlsson, “Mr. Chandler and I meet on a weekly basis since the school year starts. Every Tuesday, we gather in his room for an hour to work through all the various things that need to be done.” This involves coordinating with students, advisors, faculty, and parents to ensure that every aspect of the program runs smoothly.
Mr. Chandler emphasized the collaboration with Carlsson. “We meet a minimum of weekly right now, but as we get further into the year, we’re meeting practically every day. There are so many moving parts and details to work out,” Chandler said. The planning process also includes updating rubrics, schedules, and project guidelines to ensure that each year’s May Term reflects the interests and needs of the seniors.
The projects undertaken during May Term all contain extremely diverse topics and places of interest. They range from creative endeavors and technical builds to community service initiatives. One memorable project involved the construction of a working trebuchet. “One of my favorites is probably the trebuchet. I was a little terrified the whole time that it might not have worked, but it did and it was delightful that it worked,” Chandler said.
Students have found the May Term experience to be fun and rewarding. Deven Gupta shared his positive experience with his May Term project. “My friends and I used our web development and photography experiences that we learned at Parker to examine how Chicago handles their environmental conservation. Even though it’s been a lot of work, we’ve had fun in the process, and I’m excited to share our project with our peers.”
May Term has proven to be an invaluable part of the Parker senior experience, allowing for curiosity, self-directed learning, and community engagement. The program not only allows students to pursue their passions but also helps them develop skills and insights that will serve them well beyond their high school years.
