My Capstone project was all about digging into how students here at school and in our city get around on bikes. I was super into the idea of doing something related to biking because it’s just something I’m really passionate about. I wanted to either work directly with bikes or teach others about them. But, here’s all the options I found were paid, and our school doesn’t let students get paid for their Capstone projects.

I Worked with the Bicycle Coalition to create some surveys and analyze data. The inquiry question I wanted to answer was why some students bike and why others don’t. I figured it would be a cool way to see how students get to school and what they think about biking.

Working with Nicole from the Bicycle Coalition was awesome. She helped me make sense of all the data and keep on track. We found some interesting stuff, like safety concerns about biking to school. I even came up with some ideas to make things better.

Honestly, the beginning was a struggle. I had to switch up my project halfway through the year because of payment rules. Originally, I wanted to help younger teens learn about bikes, but that fell through.

Looking back, I wish I’d planned things out better from the start and maybe reached out to more schools for data. But overall, I’m proud of what I accomplished. And I think I made a positive impact by caring about this stuff and trying to make things better for everyone.

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qEs3E2dVvdxGPuzY0jYhzJjc8gpwsQxMhh3m1gfCD_Q/edit?usp=sharing

Link To Slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/145pU9-fHAHEbfnsftIk7Da0BpZEfqZ8mBiUNSta6Hcg/edit#slide=id.p

Link to responses: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1i1ukqwQ8nPgzLxOBxsRZvIU3Yt6MDg5Gf8wVJPQ9Oho/edit?usp=sharing

At this point of my project, I wanted science to do that for other children around the nation. Accordingly, I did research. I scoured the internet for data and statistics, and I found a weird “anomaly.” According to PEW Research Center, children attending a K-12 school in the United States report loving science and hands-on learning, but as they aged older, that passion waned. In the report of The National Library of Medicine, It wasn’t because they didn’t like science anymore, in-fact, that interest seemed to stay almost constant. But, the children seemed to have lost their confidence in their ability to pursue a STEM career. When I looked into it, I found that this was most common amongst children who come from low-income backgrounds, a minority group, or children that suffer from a low self-esteem. My heart shattered when I saw this data. I kept picturing myself in that scenario. Especially because I was one of those kids that came from a minority background. It was apparent to me how close I actually was to losing something I was so passionate about. Something that I was sure I wanted to give my life to.

As a graduate for the year of 2024, for my senior capstone project I developed a website that is purposed around a question-and-answer, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for Science Leadership Academy (SLA), Center City specific questions. This project was developed to be an informational hub for SLA specific answers, so that students, whether they are current SLA students or upcoming students, are able to find quick answers for any questions they have. Although the database is not as broadscale as it was supposed to be, as in the fact that it doesn’t know about every teacher nor does it know about every current event, it knows about a few teachers, serving as the start of something that could be further improved by anyone who wants to pursue the capstone in the future. And if no one wants to pursue it, that’s completely fine! Since the reason for its proposition was to lessen the fear mongering brought forward due to AI advancements, and show the good things AI can do under the right intentions and hands.

And , if someone does end up trying to further improve it, I hope this paragraph will help you. The languages I needed a basic understanding of are Python, Javascript, CSS, and HTML, which I already knew a bit about. Resources to learn include: W3schools, YouTube, and Codecademy. The AI, the python code, is the backend – cannot be seen – of the website, while the HTML, CSS, and Javascript are the frontend of the website – can be seen. For the AI, look into FAISS, Hugging Face, and Langchain. For hosting the website, look into Vercel, and for hosting the Python app, look into Pythonanywhere, Heroku, or Render. That’s it, good luck!

Website (AI may or may not be down atm): https://slagpt.vercel.app/

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IpLb-_myW_AXVRYiibjFVCnllIKxPdHkntVrypc4mGU/edit?usp=sharing

Going into capstone brainstorming, I knew I wanted to make something app related and something that would help me and other people as well. I looked back on some of my struggles from past years and tried to see if I could address any of the problems I had. In the end I came up with a Todo App designed for students that is also integrated with Canvas. During Freshman and Sophomore year I really struggled with disorganization and Procrastination and If i had an app where i could keep track of my personal tasks and school related tasks, that would have been one less thing getting in the way of my academic success. After roughly 90 hours of work, I ended up with my app, Simplicity. Simplicity is essentially 2 apps combined to one. Students can use Simplicity like a regular todo app with features like favorite tasks and categories, but at the same time they have the option to connect the app to Canvas and utilize the app to view course grades and upcoming assignments.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jFJdL1glunVhMDfnAsAwE8zu76V_iksCdGK1JlLD7lA/edit?usp=sharing

My first idea was organizing a charity drive to pay for items needed at the EasterSeals school to make adaptive toys and switches. However, I was unfortunately not able to get the funding or resources for this idea and later decided it was best for me to scrap it. Nonetheless I developed a few more ideas during my advisory where I was able to receive peer feedback. I then decided I wanted to do pamphlets for the incoming interns for EasterSeals. I started this by reflecting back on my own internship experience by digging through old videos and notes I’ve taken and turning the information into a digital capsule. I wanted to showcase the many toys we could adapt with switches, but I knew It was something missing from my project. This later led me to helping Torian with a group of students who were already working on some adaptive switches. We plan to make adaptive wireless toy cars compatible with a wifi connection to smartphones and also some regular toys with adaptive switches. Though we weren’t able to meet the goal yet with the physical making of the toys, I was still able to reach my goal. I aspire to spread awareness on behavioral health and inform those around me on ways they can help. Keeping this in mind helps me make my project significant to not just me but those around me as well

Hello Everyone,

My name is Leonardo Perez. This is my final capstone for my senior project. I based my project on a bike. I noticed that it is common to ride a bike to school due to parking and traffic. Sometimes people leave late from school due to practice, grading, or catching up on homework. It can get dark really fast. I asked my peers what problems they face when biking at night. The main complaint was “headlights for incoming bikers”. I decided to place a circuit board on a bike to keep the bikers safe during the night time.

During this process, I gathered my materials which included LED lights, glow in the dark paint, UV light, wires, and a circuit board. I also made a few pieces on my own with the help of a 3D printer. 3D modeling was the biggest obstacle I faced. I had to print out multiple versions of the model for appropriate size and sturdiness. The models would break easily or sometimes not fit to plug in the UV LED light. All these complications took many hours to readjust, but the time was worth it to make the appropriate final product.

It was difficult to put everything together. But I really enjoyed building this. During my sophomore year, I enjoyed learning about circuits because it was fun and it challenged my mind on how to properly run a circuit. It was a challenge but I enjoyed every bit of this process.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CtwLcIJVePkY7VgaAdrFiqN78kLagoy5l3UyJqkcGfY/edit?usp=sharing

My capstone was a mini-course at SLA-MS called “How Things Work”. In the mini-course, I taught to a group of nine 8th graders how different objects/concepts that we use in everyday life from the engineering perspective. The goal of the course was to encourage younger students to ask questions and understand how the world works. I wanted to teach something that I actually cared about and not just an engineering concept to fulfill my engineering requirement and those five weeks merged both lanes. What ended up being five lessons enhanced my presentation skills since I was talking to an audience that I was not at all familiar with. It also helped me realize the extent of what I’m capable of when I truly put my mind to it and make a plan of action.

Link to lessons: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yrX30eGClzRAraDUtSko6MRXaB6r0h5V?usp=sharing

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZkViFy394_DOmQRg5YbM_KA0KqkiK4SBAB4pcHBSv7k/edit?usp=sharing

My capstone project focused on designing and fabricating a left-handed camera harness and grip to enhance accessibility for individuals with disabilities, particularly those affecting right-hand mobility. Motivated by a friend’s inability to operate conventional cameras due to design flaws, the project aimed to address a significant gap in accessible design within the feild of photography. The iterative process involved collaboration with a seamstress and leveraging resources from the robotics team to refine the design and ensure durability. Through prototyping and testing, the final product incorporated custom components and a unique latch-and-release system, allowing for easy detachment and maneuverability. Alongside technical challenges, the project fostered a sense of community, emphasizing the importance of inclusive design grounded in user feedback and collaboration. This project highlighted the complexities of translating design concepts into tangible solutions and the significance of effective communication in understanding user needs. Despite initial setbacks and uncertainties, the project culminated in a transformative tool that not only addressed a specific accessibility issue but also inspired passion and innovation within the engineering community. Moving forward, the project aims to share its design openly, promoting accessibility and inclusion in photography equipment beyond its immediate scope.

Link to bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CDOmh3_ebudFlgktEVKsC1iSWizCNF1WGP3exZu5WFg/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I researched and analyzed the environmental and financial consequences of converting SEPTA’s current bus fleet into all-electric, zero-emission fleet.

Global warming is causing severe damage to our planet. It is destroying habitats, increasing weather-related disasters, and leading to higher sea levels, all of which harm people and wildlife. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by human activity are a main contributor to climate change.

About 30% of US’s total emissions and about 15% of global emissions come from the transportation sector. About 80% of these emissions are from burning fossil fuels to power road vehicles. About a quarter of transportation emissions come from medium or heavy duty vehicles, including commercial buses.

One way to decrease transportation-related emissions is to switch fuels, to not only use vehicles that are powered by fossil fuels. An example is to convert gas-powered vehicles to electric or hybrid ones that rely on electricity from renewable sources.

As a frequent rider of public transportation, I wondered: Would it make a difference, in terms of emissions and cost, if SEPTA’s bus fleet were converted to e-buses?

Capstone (More sources are listed in the last few pages of the paper): First Link

Bibliography: Second Link

For my capstone project, I restored a bike for someone to have an easier time traveling through the city of Philadelphia. I used many donations which included the bike to restore the bike in the SLA engineering shop over the past couple of months. I decided to do this project because many people don’t have a reliable mode of transportation. Many can’t afford cars or the maintenance to keep them up, and with Septa becoming less reliable over the past few years many people who need to travel across the city have very good options and reliable options to get around. This is why I decided to use a restored bike, to give someone the reliable mode of transportation they need.

This project required me to learn to use many different tools to fix the bike. While also did plenty of research on bikes in collaboration with my local bike shop to get this project done. After 99 hours of work where I traveled gathering parts and information, The bike is finally done and ready to be given away.

Link to bibliography:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GF04IPi2x6D1ygwXjq4_fKbggDU3DUd-tGz3zElNkjE/edit?usp=sharing