- Senior Projects: Not surprisingly, many of the seniors have been infected with Senioritis, especially now that quite a number have begun to hear back from colleges. Seniors are now helping out underclass folks on their projects and will be acting as judges at the Showcase.
- Junior Projects: There are a bunch of really exciting projects underway among the 11th graders. Machine learning, thanks to the guidance and mentorship of i2 senior Pascal Reich, is showing up in a number of projects. One to keep an eye on is Lantern AI, a terrific project around learning to read Mandarin. Another project worth checking out involves building insoles for shoes with embedded piezoelectric elements that enable people to recharge their phones by simply walking around.
- Sophomore Projects: Lots of fascinating projects this year are coming out the sophomore class. Matthew Spillane is completing a cloud chamber that will enable us to see the trails left by virtually invisible particles passing through our environment every day. Luke Moore is completing a project he started last year, a robotically controlled sand table, and a small team is building a Web site devoted to highlighting and curating mental health resources available to high school-age students.
- Frosh Projects: The 9th-graders are working on a range of cool projects. Michael Bridon and Sam Wai on conducting a study on the impact of social media on students’ body image. Be sure to check out the projects page for more!
i2 Showcase is set for April 1st at 11:00 a.m. in De Paul
The i2 students are feverishly working on finishing up their projects in preparation for the i2 Showcase on April 1st. The program will take over the entire 2nd floor of the DePaul Campus for the Arts. Doors will open at 11:00 a.m. for the community to come to look at the projects and talk with i2 Scholars. i2 Families are then invited to the i2 end-of-year celebration that follows the Showcase, which will start at 1:30 in the Collins Theater.
Ryan Hernandez ’24 and Elizabeth Gealy ’24 work
together preparing infographics for the Showcase.
i2 Showcase: i2 Scholars are looking forward to welcoming old and new faces at the i2 Showcase. Project ideas and processes will be presented and the new incoming class of i2 Scholars will be introduced. It’s going to be a fun-packed event and we hope to see you there!
A snapshot of all the activities i2 Scholars are involved
in at SHC (click for large-scale image)
The Inquiry & Innovation Program (i2) is a four-year leadership and enrichment program that challenges students to inquire how their capabilities and passions can serve communities from the local to global scale and to explore innovative ways to do so effectively.
The i2 Program develops students’ problem-solving, creativity, analytical abilities, and leadership skills through a curriculum that integrates STEM, liberal arts, and service. Through annual projects, field trips, talks, performances, and outdoor adventures, students examine and address ideas and issues outside the classroom.
As they involve themselves in the many programs at SHC, including Robotics, the Student Launch Initiative, and TEDxYouth@SHC, i2 students build their capacity to create positive change in the world.
Starting in the 9th grade, i2 students get to know each other and begin to build a sense of community through dedicated ninth-grade Physics and World History courses.
(click here to learn more)
This year Lukas Seufert (‘24), Brandon Holland (‘25), and Bill Smith (‘25) are planning on tackling the issue of Schoology. Schoology, the platform that SHC uses to manage and assign classwork, is often known to be outdated and just not the best site for learning. The group plan to tackle this issue by creating their new and improved version of Schoology, Coursify. As described by the group, Courisfy would include features such as built-in schedules and improved online learning systems. The site would provide a better user experience for students and teachers alike and navigation would be more streamlined compared with Schoology. To learn more about Coursify, visit their i2 page and check out their project at the i2 Showcase on April 1st!
We know this is a bit aspirational – and we’re not sure how if we can make this work, but…we’re reaching out to i2 graduates in hopes that we can hear from all you out there and catch up on what you’re doing, hear your stories and learn about your adventures. Shoot us a note and tell us what you’re up to!
Please feel free to contact Dabney Standley or Mariflor Medrano with any questions, updates, offers of help, and support! We’d love to hear from you.
i2 in Photos
Ziplining Adventure
