Legal Studies Academy Senior Project Proposal

CJ Brady
 A. Summary

I chose to investigate the inequality in the educational system through the technological

lense because I am involved in educational technology and see the shortcomings present. There

are hundreds of schools and students all around the nation which do not have ample access to the

technological resources to succeed. Despite there being equal opportunity laws and regulations in

place, many districts are still left behind the reset of the world with their archaic methods. Small

progress is being made, but not enough to give current students the opportunities they deserve.

Efforts like the chromebook movement at our school are evidence of this, but not every school

system is fortunate enough to be able to provide as much. With these problems in schools, there

are also just as many problems at home. Students all around the nation go home everyday with

very little connection to the technological world.

In order to guide my research and project, my driving questions will be as follows:

● How can we standardize technology in education?

● What factors prevent certain systems from implementing technology?

● What laws are in place regarding technology requirements for educational systems?

● How do local laws vary from State laws regarding technology policies for students.

● How has the advancement of technology hindered or advanced the use of it in education?

My project will involve a, “Technology Drive,” in which I make efforts to gather and

distribute devices to students in need. It will involve collecting the devices through donation bins

located in many different locations. After collection, I will host a workshop to prepare the

devices for donations and donate the finished products to the VASTAR with the help of my

consultant Mr. Spruill (From ATC). The collection bins will be placed all around multiple
schools, facilities such as rec centers, and more over a long period of time as it is not one specific

event. To ensure the safety of the donations the bins will be placed in secure areas within

surveillance which is common at rec centers. My project will be successful if I can donate at

least 5-10 quality and functioning devices for students in need to use. Although 5-10 does not

seem like much, it is a good goal because it is harder than it seems to gather and fix old

technology. To run the drive, I will need collection bins, signs, and tools to work on the

technology collected.

B. New Skills, Enhanced Skills, Areas of Growth

New Skills-

● Advertisement

● Scraping Capability for multiple devices

● Drive organization and allocation

● Effective Distribution

Enhanced Skills-

● Device Troubleshooting

● Communication- Online and in person

● Research

● Presentation

Areas of Growth-

● Dealing with Confrontation

● Keep track of communication with others

● Organizational habits
 ● Overcoming procrastination

C. Marketing Plan/Facilities/Audience

My project will be spread out among multiple facilities including First Colonial, ATC,

numerous rec centers, Libraries, and possibly different neighborhoods. To spread word about the

project, I plan to post many fliers/large advertisement boards next to the donation bins. Along

with the posters, I will work to have announcements made to encourage donations and also

spread by word of mouth to known and unknown peers. Since my project is a Technology Drive,

the target audience will be anyone willing to donate devices in any conditions so that I can get

the most donations possible. Even though I am reaching to everyone, I will specifically target

students at ATC, and students in computer classes at FC, because they will be more likely to

possess older/unused technology which will be perfect for donation. I will also advertise heavily

in LSA classes because through our program, I can offer Community and Service hours for

donation of technology in all conditions. These incentives will motivate and interest people to

donate their old devices, and is also relevant to many of the students as some of their​ ​peers might

be the ones in need. Along with asking for donations, I will also reach out to different places to

see if they have old technology to donate.

D. Project Steps

Preliminary Contact Advertisements Venues, Sort out Incentives, Collect 4 Hours

Steps Materials, Create Advertisements

Midway Set up Drive Stations, Advertise by Word of Mouth/Through School, 6 Hours

Steps Monitor Progress, Make Changes as Necessary

Later Collect Stations, Work on Technology/Fix It up, Distribute 10

Steps collections to proper places Hours

Follow Up Clean up Drive Stations, Thank Venues, Evaluate amount of 3 Hours

participation in Drive

Total 23
Hours
E. Project Documentation

● Phone Call Log

● Email Conversations

● Pictures of Donation stations

● Pictures of posters/Posters themselves

● Receipts from purchases

● Pictures of Repairing/working on the devices

● Pictures of Donating to VASTAR

● Receipts from Donation

F. Project Justification

This project will be beneficial because it will serve to mitigate the problem of unequal

access to technology in schools. While helping the problem it will also educate the people
involved in the donations because they will have a deeper appreciation for the technology they

use everyday. The benefit of the project will be seen through the support the less fortunate

students receive. Although I am thoroughly involved in technology and its developments, I have

never delved into educational aspects of the field. I know very little of the legislation and legal

aspects which are involved in technology in education; so finding proper documents and

applicable matters will be a challenge. I have also participated in many donation drives, but have

never personally organized one. It will be a stretch for me because I will have to overcome

challenges like how to get evenly distributed donation stations or how to properly secure the

donations which are received.

G. Project-Paper Connection

My project will help to mitigate the problem of lack of technology in education within

our local system. Even though it is a local drive with the aim to suppress this problem in our

school system, it will also serve to spread awareness of the issue which is affecting our nation

currently. The overarching issue for my paper is discussing the lack of technology in our

educational systems, so the effort to spread awareness and support the issue is how it is

connected. The effort of my research paper will go into investigating the law in place to support

or hinder the issue of lack of technology, and by investigating this I will also be able to explain

to people why we need to support the students in need.

H.​ ​Academic Honesty

I understand that any academic dishonesty by me on any part of the project will result in failure

of the Senior Project and forfeiture of the Legal Studies Seal on my High School diploma.