Irvington is the only school in the Fremont Unified School District that offers three benchmark projects throughout highschool. These projects play a vital role in preparing students for life beyond the classroom walls. These long-term projects challenge students to develop essential skills while exploring real-world issues.
The transition begins in 9th grade with the Change Project. Freshmen work in small groups to research an environmental issue and take action to create a positive change in their local community.
“My Change topic was on the decline of Himalayan Blackberries,” said Leena Adwankar (9). “My group and I chose this topic because it’s a huge problem that doesn’t get enough attention. The hardest part of this project was figuring out how we could volunteer to create a change in our community through service projects.”
“Change helped me get used to high school by making me take responsibility, think critically, and communicate with others. These skills will definitely help me in years to come,” added Tejas Baskaran (9).
In 10th grade, students take on the World Issues project (WIP), conducting research on a global problem with economic impacts. “For WIP, I looked at climate change and it interconnects with so many other worldwide issues,” said Istasha Paul (10). “Finding trustworthy, current sources was really tough, but pushed me to sharpen my research abilities.”
Ayush Pareek (10), focused on the spread of infectious diseased for his WIP. “It was eye-opening to analyze these issues from a global perspective and see how factors like poverty and location increase vulnerability to different diseases. The Socratic seminars helped me view topics through multiple lenses.”
The last benchmark project is the senior Quest project. For this project, students dive into a specific issue area of their choice, preparing them for college-level research.
“Quest allowed me to explore my passion for healthcare accessibility in-depth,” said Atasi Singh (12). “After starting out wanting to study the patent system, I shifted gears and it was touch to restart my research. But overcoming that obstacle made me a strong researcher and learn how to adapt to change quicker.”
Rushil Dileep (12), who studied mental health in the juvenile justice system for this Quest project, noted “The benchmark projects forced me to develop skills like professional communication, public speaking, and sifting through sources critically. I feel ready to thrive with the independent research expected at the next level.”
Irvington’s benchmark projects epitomize our school’s commitment to preparing lifelong learners to create positive change. By taking on these rigorous challenges year after year, us Vikings learn how to build critical skills to ensure we will be successful after graduation.
