Senior Exhibitions
Curiosity, passion, self-directed learning—they’re what define the Senior Exhibition program and make it such a seminal educational experience.
Every senior at Thacher tackles this exciting intellectual challenge, choosing a focus area, honing in on an essential question, and conducting research over several months to prepare for a major presentation of their work in front of students, faculty, family and friends.
List of 3 items.
-
Research
It starts with a question. How can we both enjoy and conserve a particular ecosystem? What is the lasting legacy of my favorite artist? From there, students dig into a phase of extensive research, collecting the data and information they need to formulate, and back up, their thesis. More than just collecting facts, students apply thoughtful and well-reasoned analysis to their work. One-on-one sessions with an advisor throughout the process give students the opportunity to get advice and discuss ideas as they go along. The final three weeks of English IV are dedicated to Senior Exhibition research, at the end of which students produce an annotated bibliography and a brief summary of their research. -
Presentation
In April, seniors are busy polishing up their projects and working with their exhibition coaches to get their presentation just right. During one busy weekend, the Thacher community attends presentations on an exciting range of topics—the culmination (and celebration!) of months of hard work and intellectual exploration. -
Recognition for Our Program
In 2012, Thacher received an Edward E. Ford Foundation Leadership Grant that was intended to support a Thacher-led forum designed to help other schools develop and improve their senior capstone projects. That initiative has evolved into the Capstone Consortium, a national collaboration between public, independent, parochial, and charter schools that share a belief in the power of capstone projects. The organization hosts an annual Summer Summit, which allows leaders of capstone programs to gather, collaborate, and share ideas. The inaugural Summer Summit was hosted at Thacher in 2013; the School remains an enthusiastic and committed participant in the Consortium.
Video: Highlights from Senior Exhibitions 2021
—Kevin
“The Senior Exhibition program provided me with the opportunity to explore the 2014 Ebola outbreak on a deep level. I honed important research, presentation, and analytical skills that have been invaluable in college and will continue to serve me well in my future career. Furthermore, it sparked my interest in subject areas that I continue to be passionate about today, including epidemiology, health policy, and global health.”
Hanover, New Hampshire
A Sampling of Senior Exhibition Topics 2024
1
/
8
A college preparatory boarding school for grades 9-12
Notice of nondiscriminatory policy as to students: The Thacher School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other School-administered programs.