Independent Study Program

BWL's Independent Study Program provides opportunities for highly motivated 7th - 12th grade students to explore a particular subject or topic of interest, while developing the skills to produce high-level academic projects. The program is designed for students who are excelling in a specific subject area and want to expand their knowledge through independent study and mentorship, learning to produce high quality academic writing, while presenting their ideas and research in a symposium setting. 

Eligible students are paired with a mentor teacher in their focused subject area, as well as an Independent Study advisor for weekly meetings. These faculty members provide direction, support, and the skills for students to explore their passions and produce a final project of which they can be proud. 

Each Independent Study takes place over either the Fall or Spring term, with a culminating Independent Study Symposium where students present what they have learned and created. 

Who is eligible for this program? 

All students in 7th-12th grade are eligible to apply for this program. Applications for 2023 Fall cohort will open in August. 

Application Requirements:

• Topic idea provided by student
• Letter of recommendation from a faculty member in their area of study

Students must have earned a B or higher in relevant courses over the past 2 years (if a student joined BWL within the last two years, it will be based on the grades from their previous transcript).

Program Structure:

Each student will be assigned an independent study (IS) advisor and a faculty mentor (a faculty member in the department related to the topic area, or with expertise in the topic). 

Students will meet weekly with their IS advisor for the following: 

• Track and maintain progress on final project

• Learn how to access and navigate research resources (JSTOR, EBSCO, etc)

• Learn proper citation and Works Cited formats

• Outline and create the type of paper or project the student will produce

• Create a proper thesis statement

The Faculty Mentor will provide the following:

• Initial list of resources (books, articles, documentaries, etc) for the student to begin their research. Once the student has finalized a focus for their project, the mentor will provide more specific resources. These will coincide with 2 initial meetings in the beginning of the program. 

• Minimum of one monthly one-on-one discussion with the student. 

• Offer clarification or other avenues for exploration in the topic. 

• The mentor will also be available for questions via email (ie. Clarifications, additional articles, etc.)

Culmination: At the end of the program, each student will have produced an academic study of some kind. This can be a paper, essay, collection of artwork, documentary, or another type of product approved by their IS advisor.

Independent Study Symposium: Each student will present what they have learned during their IS. This event will be open to students, faculty, administrators, and parents from the community.

How to Apply:

For more information about this program, please contact Assistant Head of School Geoff Fisher.