Stepping into the adult world - #lakewoodnews

It's an oft-repeated statistic that the number one fear for most people is public speaking.

This might be particularly true as a teenager, when young people are still growing into themselves and in confidence.

To help students overcome this fear, Wheat Ridge High School Principal Griff Wirth invites Wheat Ridge community leaders, residents, former students and friends to participate in the school's Senior Capstone Evening.

The sixth annual Capstone Evening was April 25 this year, and nearly 100 judges participated by listening to presentations from seniors about their year-long capstone projects.

"We try to engage the community in the lives of our kids," Wirth said during an introduction to the judges. "It's a tough thing to do for anyone to get up there and present ideas, and then defend them."

Judges were spread out in classrooms, the library and lobby. They listened as students presented on a variety of topics, from addiction and artistic movements to designer drugs and mass shootings. The projects were intensive and research-based and included the creation of a product associated with the research and organization of a portfolio detailing this process.

In one room, judges heard presentations from students like Jaden Martinez, who discussed the importance of animal rights.

"I was inspired to do this because of how the relationship with my dog positively impacts my life," he said. "Human rights and animal rights are intertwined, and we need to protect animals from harm."

The products that students created were all practical and helpful. Martinez drafted a law to address leaving animals in hot cars, while others made an interactive guide book to deal with mental illness. Another developed a water filtration system for people in poor and developing countries.

Feedback from judges didn't affect students grades, but judges did ask questions to test students' knowledge of their topic. Instead, it was a way for students to receive feedback from impartial audiences and improve public speaking skills.

"We're trying some new formats to give the students more experiences," Wirth said. "I want judges to welcome students to the adult world and show them how professionals are treated."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://wheatridgetranscript.com/stories/Stepping-into-the-adult-world,213021?branding=15