Hewlett Foundation
Deeper Learning Community of Practice
Big Picture Learning
Angelo Drummond – Senior Thesis Project
Angelo’s Senior Thesis project was to design and create teenage community lounge in the heart
of his hometown, Camden, New Jersey. Angelo wanted to address the violence in his community by
creating an opportunity for students to engage with various activities not traditionally offered in low
socio-economic locales. His research led him to posit that a solution to the teenage violence in Camden
was a lack of community resources often leading to boredom and troublemaking.
His solution was to create a lounge (modeled loosely off famous television show lounges) that
offered various activities to teenagers that would allow to them to engage in positive behavior. Also,
and perhaps equally as important, his lounge represented a space were teens could engage one another
and that the Camden community could be proud of. Addressing the ‘Broken Windows’ theory, the
lounge stood at a central location and would serve as the beacon of pride for the city. Thus, while his
main focus was to attack teenage violence, he also wanted a solution that would serve double duty to
address other community problems.
As one can see in the work product, this project was an extremely ambitious and complex
project that was fueled by Angelo’s passion for community organizing. This project serves as a great
example of how Big Picture schools are pushing their students to achieve academically, socially, and
professionally, which in turn, prepares the students for the collegiate and real world success.
Because his, as are all, Senior Thesis Project was a multi-year endeavor with multiple drafts and
continual revisions, several of the items presented seemly cross over into different learning principles.
Also, please note, that at Big Picture schools, the students are responsible for cataloguing and
maintaining their work; thus, not all of the documents presented are representative of the final polished
product. Nevertheless, the items offer a clear example into how the learning at Big Picture schools
address each of the Deeper Learning principles.
Examine the entire Community Lounge Final Report (especially the Narrative introduction
section) to have the most comprehensive look at how the entire project came together and its final
products. Also, the report illustrates an integration of all of the Deeper Learning principles.
Master Core Academic Content
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Survey & Analysis
o Generated a survey for local residents and teenagers to gauge interest and feasibility of
developing an actual community lounge
o Gathered valuable information about possible programming and potential space usage
o Engaged in thorough statistical analysis to drive the planning process with future
funders and architects
Lounge Possible Activities & Spaces
o Used survey results to generate a possible activities and space usage framework
o Integrated those ideas to work within the budgetary limitations
Think Critically and Solve Complex Problems
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Research Paper
o Presents problem of teenage violence and his hypothesis as to why the problem is
prevalent in his community
o Outlines compelling case, using data and anecdotal evidence, as to why lack of
resources negatively impacts teens and ultimately leads to more youth violence
o Discusses high level solution of teenage lounge, and makes argument for why this is the
best solution for the violence problem
Business Plan
o Describes the details of actual implementation of community lounge idea outlined in his
research paper
o Discusses the logistical details and implications of creating an actual lounge
o Provides detailed outline for steps to take including gathering resources and an
implementation timeline
Work Collaboratively
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Task Force
o Utilized a 10-15 person group to be the ‘board of directors’
o Held monthly meetings to report progress and get critical feedback
o Utilized school resources to check-in and troubleshoot problems
Internships (Three Different)
o Worked in an architecture firm for renders and detailed plans
o Worked with community advocacy group to gain support and community involvement
o Worked with a non-profit to secure funding and create overall presentation and project
framework
Communicate Effectively
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Prior Art & Business Plans
o Researched and presented ideas of several other lounge / community centers
o Created a business plan that articulated the ideas and laid a framework for completion
o Held initial meets with several stakeholders to gauge the need and feasibility of project
Presentations (Community & Design)
o Engaged in several revisions of the initial ideas to the final product
o Presented to architects and potential funders to gain support and money
o Negotiated with more than 5 different organizations to collaborate to put the entire
project together
Learn How to Learn
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Site & Zoning Analysis
o Had to learn an entirely new subject from scratch
o Conducted Initial site analysis for feasibility
o Worked with a surveyor to analyze actual ground and develop a report on the potential
problems the selected site posed
Exhibitions
o Performed quarterly presentations to school administrators and peers for feedback
o Engaged in Socratic seminars to push a deeper understanding for him and his panelists
o Engage in self-reflection about his academic progress and personal qualities
Develop Academic Mindsets
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Grant Proposal
o Worked with several organizations to secure a grant for the project planning phase
o Researched potential competitors and did a cost/benefit analysis for own project
Project Used As Template
o Completed his two-year project, and produced a high quality final product
o He had one of the very first Senior Thesis Projects at the school, and created a fantastic
model for future students
o Used his project to gain admittance to universities, and is still using the skills learned to
be successful in college