For the past several months the sophomore class has prepared for their Panther Exploration Projects (PEP). As the due date approaches this week, students are putting the final details on their projects.

Completing the PEP is a graduation pathway and a requirement for leadership positions in student and class councils, National Honor Society, Senior Honor Code and early release/late arrival privileges.

An important aspect of the PEP is that the project is based on student interest. Students picked a topic they were interested in researching and created a product.

“My favorite part of the PEP process was researching a topic I am actually interested in. It made the whole thing easier and more fun,” sophomore Lauren Adler said.

Adler researched Alice Paul and the women’s suffrage movement and constructed an exhibit board for her PEP.

Sophomores taking AP US History complete the National History Day project along a similar timeline as PEP. So, these students have the option of doubling-up the two projects.

National History Day is also a student-interest research project with a product outcome, so the workload is very similar.

Sophomore Malcom Cruz is one of the students doing both projects on one topic.

“I did both my NHD and PEP projects on Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project,” Cruz said.

The due date for both projects falls between February 27 and March 4. Students have had several months of loose due dates, so as the project comes to an end students have different amounts of work left to complete.

The final outcome of the PEP is supposed to include a report of some kind, evidence of research product and journal entries.

“I just have my written report left to do,” sophomore Angel Smith said.

For most students, the research portion of the project was the most time consuming and difficult.
“Luckily, I have finished all my research and organized it. All I have left to do is construct my board,” Adler said.

The final part of completing the PEP is the in-person exhibition on March 13. In order to complete the project, students need to present their products at the exhibition after school.

Once they have submitted all their work, students have begun preparing to present in different ways.

“I feel confident in my research, so I plan on reviewing everything before the exhibition,” Smith said.

Other students do not plan on preparing at all.

“It has been difficult for me to find time to work, so I am just planning on winging the presentation,” Cruz said.

The timeline for the PEP was stretched over several months, so students had to balance everything on top of their weekly school load. Specifically, time-management skills were needed to accomplish everything on time.

“The most difficult part was finding time to work on PEP on top of all my work for my classes,” Cruz said.

Students are ready for the PEP project due date and to exhibit their products.