Signature Experiences

Student-driven projects build context and confidence.

At Pacific Ridge, Signature Experiences are developed at each grade level to augment classroom learning and co-curricular programming, and to address the “purposeful life” element of the Pacific Ridge School mission statement. Ranging from integrated academic exercises to highly anticipated rites of passage, the Signature Experiences give real-world context and deeper meaning to the learning process.

7th Grade

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VOICE Project

After researching a current world issue, 7th graders “stand up and speak out” on the topic, raising awareness and proposing possible solutions through video, social media, and other communication platforms.

8th Grade

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Purpose Project

Students take a critical look at a topic that matters to them personally. Working over eleven weeks, they develop an essential question and design a solution that demonstrates their personal connection and makes an external impact on their chosen subject. Students will be asked to leverage the full extent of their middle school learning and various technologies at their disposal to design/build/program/engineer their culminating project.

9th Grade

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Freshman Orations

Over the course of several months, ninth graders write, revise, memorize, practice and perfect original speeches on topics of their choosing, which they then present to the Pacific Ridge community. Students research their topics and learn about the persuasive powers of logos, ethos and pathos, while rounds of peer feedback and faculty guidance help them refine their writing and presentation skills.
Muse Project

Building off of their reading of The Odyssey, ninth-grade students create personal mythologies using modern traditions of storytelling.The project culminates in a multimedia museum event that showcases students' understanding of the power of storytelling.

10th Grade

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The Memorial Project

Students research a historically significant topic they think should be memorialized. They are also encouraged to explore how the dominant historical narrative may have relegated important, lesser-known persons or historical events to footnotes. The project culminates in a public art gallery created to stoke engagement and curiosity about the intersectionality of art, history and social movements.

11th Grade

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Junior Project

Students identify areas of business, science, arts, politics, social entrepreneurship, etc. that interest them, seek out local leaders in those professions to interview, and present detailed findings to their peers. The process allows students to learn about the sources and characteristics of leadership in a range of professions. It also encourages important networking and interview skills, and encourages students to make connections between their academic and extra-curricular interests and real-world careers.

12th Grade

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Senior Signatures

Seniors develop a project that translates their skills, passion and knowledge of the school community into a tangible project that can endure after they leave. It culminates at year’s end in a presentation, performance or exhibition of a “product” that attests to the people they have become, leaving their legacy with the Pacific Ridge community.