78. Senior Initiative

In late spring, Dalton seniors immerse themselves in a Senior Initiative project of their choice. Sara Solomon ’18 organized a panel discussion, sponsored by local Community Board 8, where speakers discussed issues related to formerly incarcerated people re-entering the job market.

In late spring, before Dalton seniors walk through the Arch one final time, they have an amazing opportunity to immerse themselves in a Senior Initiative project of their choice, an individual or group project that offers a significant educational and intellectual experience. Not surprisingly, Dalton students typically interpret this dictate in broad and creative ways.

You’ll understand what I mean when you read examples of past projects: constructing and preparing to launch a weather balloon to 100,000 feet; designing, programming, and building a custom automatic coffee roaster; traveling to all five boroughs to sketch people and landmarks; composing original pieces and arranging American standards for a brass band ensemble in the tradition of Dixieland music and contemporary American Jazz; assisting BronxWorks to help sponsor a basketball clinic for children in homeless shelters and fundraising for gym renovations; building the framework and interface for Session, a mobile app to create a social network for musicians; learning forensics by studying an unsolved case to determine whether evidence is plausible and drawing conclusions; and teaching Dalton dance classes to younger students.

Dalton’s Senior Initiative program in its current iteration was born following discussions in 1998–1999 in Stifler House that our second semester programming for Seniors could be improved. These days, meeting weekly, each student works with a faculty member who acts as advisor. About a month later, in late May, students present their final work to proud parents, teachers, peers.
—Arlo Klinger, Educational Technologist and Coordinator of Senior Year Events