MANCHESTER, NH – Declan Knieriem, this year’s valedictorian at Manchester Central High School, recently offered a presentation for his extended learning opportunity (ELO) entitled “Public Relations Through Digital Editing.”
Before his ELO coordinator, a guidance counselor, and his curriculum advisor, Declan presented an overview of his work updating and expanding the school’s ELO website. The update featured a design change, new pictures, and sections that were expanded in an effort to share more information about the program to the school population as well as the public. He also put together a student survey of current and prior ELO students, compiled that data, and used other marketing techniques to promote the program.
“I found that the (ELO) program received generally positive reviews,” he said of the survey data.
Declan also wrote a four-page research paper to accompany the project (“Security in the Digital Age”) last year. He noted that the paper could have been a bit longer had he updated it and added testimony from the recent Congressional hearings concerning privacy and social media networks. Declan also described a bit of challenge putting together the project – having to use Google, the platform the school utilizes – instead of other products he had more experience with like Adobe InDesign and Prezi.
For the ELO, Declan earned 0.5 credits. He is attending Harvard University in the fall.
To learn more about Extended Learning Opportunities in New Hampshire, visit the NH DOE website.
