A taste of freedom

Rudi Romaine, a senior at Harmony School in Bloomington, is on a 12-state road trip studying poverty. Wes Biddle, also a senior, is exploring his interest in cars through an internship at an auto-mechanics shop and another Harmony classmate is writing a 300-page science-fiction novel. Unlike the experience of most seniors, who deal with senioritis, college rejections, college acceptances, prom and sappy yearbook signings, seniors at Harmony participate in an independent, semester-long research project. \nThe Harmony seniors do not take regular classes second semester. Instead, they invest the entire semester into working on projects of their choice. Most of the projects follow a similar format. The final project consists of the proposal, journal, collection of artifacts and references, written reflections and a final presentation. Although the projects are not graded, the entire student body must vote to approve the senior projects' results. \nDavid Christman, who has taught Harmony seniors since 1990, said the program helps curb senioritis and maintain student interest. \n"One thing I like about the program is that it makes their last semester here the most powerful," Christman said.\nPreparation for the senior projects begins in the fall semester. Faculty and parents may help to generate ideas for the projects proposal, but the seniors make the final decision about the content. Seniors can base their projects on any subject they choose. In fact, the standards for content are kept intentionally vague to suit a variety of interests. \n"The idea is to find something that enlivens these kids and gets them into the real world," Christman said. \nThe seniors must propose their project ideas to the entire high school student body for approval, and by early November, all plans are cemented. \nThe process of planning the program places a lot of accountability on the seniors, he said. The projects are independently funded, so some organize fundraisers to sponsor their trips and research. Making arrangements for travel, housing and finances can be one of the most difficult aspects of the program. \nProblem-solving is the major lesson of the senior projects, Christman said. Narrowing the student's field of interest and picking a specific topic can be very difficult. Myra Swoape, who graduated from Harmony in 2000 and is now majoring in folklore at IU, had a difficult time choosing a topic. She eventually combined her interests in herbal remedies and traditional Florida artisans into one project.\n"It's completely overwhelming," Swoape said. \nThe faculty's support is very helpful in planning the programs, but the ultimate decision is the student's, she said. \n"It definitely made me a stronger person because I was given so much responsibility, and I took on so much responsibility," Swoape said. \nDespite any setbacks the seniors might encounter, the most important aspect of the projects is to promote good problem solving skills, Christman said. Overcoming the obstacles is a key aspect of the learning experience. \n"Sticking with it is the main theme; working through the problems is important," Christman said. \nBarb Backler, who also works at Harmony, agreed. \n"Everybody has problem solving to do. It might be coming up with the proposal, or it might be implementing it. Sometimes the kids have to come back to school to re-negotiate," she said. \nThe senior projects are characteristic of Harmony's independent style of education. The senior-projects program was founded by Steve Boncheck in 1974, who based it on IU's Individualized Major Program. \nIndependent learning is a key aspect of Harmony's programs, Backler said.\n"We want people to become lifelong learners," she said. "We want people to feel like they can make a difference." \nWith only five faculty members and 60 students, the high school has the advantage of a small, community-type atmosphere. \n"This school is very project-oriented in the classroom," Christman said. The less structured class environment, individualized teaching attention and the personal accountability of Harmony's programs require the students to be self-motivated, he said. \n"You have to want to be a learner to do well at Harmony," Swoape said. \nShe attended public school until ninth grade when she transferred to Harmony. \n"I really felt like I wasn't able to excel at all in a regular school situation because I had to learn at everyone else's pace," she said. \nAt Harmony, Swoape was relieved to find that she could take a more proactive role in her education. \n"It's really amazing that there's a place like Harmony where so much faith and respect is given to the individual at such a young age," Swoape said, "where they'll let you chase your dreams and try what you want to do." \nThe first half of the semester, Swoape traveled to Florida with her father to interview and photograph traditional artists. Next, she worked with an herbal cosmetics specialist in Bloomington making herbal remedies like soaps and healing balms. She compiled one document with the information and pictures of the traditional artists in Florida and made a recipe book of herbal remedies. \nIn May, the seniors wrap up their projects and return to Harmony for a few weeks of classes. The seniors talk about their projects and experiences with the rest of the students and even take a week-long trip to Savannah, Ga., with the entire high school. \nChristman said the faculty and underclassmen look forward to the senior's return. Harmony's small, close-knit environment makes the seniors' absence acutely felt. While the seniors are gone, the underclassmen are forced to step up and become leaders.\nAfter a semester of independence, it's sometimes difficult for the seniors to readjust to a high school atmosphere, Swoape said. \n"It can be hard to reacclimate," she said. \nChristman also said he sees a noted maturity change in the seniors when they return from their projects. \n"They seem more adult-like," he said.\nDespite the occasional readjustment problems, most of the seniors are eager to share their projects with one another. \n"It's kind of exciting," Swoape said. "You did this big project, and you really want to share it." \nLooking back, Swoape said she couldn't be happier with her decision to attend Harmony and participate in the senior projects program. \n"I'm one of the only people I know," she said, "who can say they honestly loved high school"