The Mastery Experience project is a fairly new credit added into the Connecticut public schools system, starting with the class of 2023. Students in high school have reported feeling stressed and unmotivated when it comes to the project, but there are also some who view it as a helpful tool to succeed after graduation. 

West Hartford Public Schools defines the Mastery Experience credit as, “a one-credit required learning opportunity students earn by engaging in the exploration of a topic that is personally meaningful.” The credit was introduced in front of the Connecticut General Assembly in 2017, and must be completed by students of the class of 2023 and beyond. There are multiple ways to complete the mastery experience credit, from projects in specialized classes, to taking a seal of bi-literacy exam. However, Hall High School offers a tailored class specifically for seniors who struggle with completing the ME credit on their own. The Mastery Experience Seminar is run by Candice Schiesel, a Psychology and American Government teacher at Hall.  

The seminar was made to, “help seniors who have a hard time fitting [the ME project] into their schedule have a chunk of time to work on it, and allows them to have frequent check-ins with somebody who is gauging your progress,” says Scheise

l. She goes on to describe that it overall gives students more structure and support, as well as implementing goal-setting, and time-management skills within the curriculum. 

Many students across Hall and Conard High School agree that the Mastery Experience was helpful to them. Kahari Jones, a senior at Conard, explains how he completed his credit during his junior year in FEOD. He describes it as, “really nice because it wasn’t too hard and in something I really liked to be a part of and participate in”. Students in WHPS are encouraged to find a topic that interests them for their ME project , whether it’s in a class that they enjoy, or demonstrating their skills in a hobby they partake in. For kids who struggle with making the decision as to what they’re interested in, the Mastery Experience Seminar can help them discover that too.

“There is a big emphasis on curiosity and love of learning in the sense that I encourage students to choose a topic that they really care about and love,” Schiesel says about the program, “It really helps them to stay motivated to do that project.” 

There are also students, however, who do not share the same sentiment. Dorjee Sherpa, as senior at Hall, shares her experience of completing the Mastery Experience. Sherpa had moved to West Hartford from New York in the middle of junior year, and was foreign to the idea of a project required to graduate. 

““I feel like it was difficult because towards the end of last year I hadn’t had the chance to do it in junior year, and it really just sprung onto me in senior year,” Sherpa explains. “I had a limited amount of options in terms of classes that I could complete the credit in since I was doing it so late, and it was stressful trying to find something I could really be engaged in.”

Other students from Hall responded to a poll, rating their level of stress regarding having to complete the ME credit as a graduation requirement. Their responses ranged from 1-10, however most rated their stress level at a 6. Another poll asked if the ME credit should be a requirement at all, to which 73% responded “No”. 

However, a few of those who responded also offered suggestions on how the ME could possibly be modified, or replaced. One student wrote, “I have heard that other CT schools require seniors to do a month or two of “work” experience at an employer. I think that would be a better use of your time.” Another offered the idea that, “ students already have so much work to do in their high school, or college level classes. I don’t think anything extra should be required as a credit in order to graduate.”

If a student is struggling with the completion of their ME project, there are many support systems available to help find a solution. In Hall, students say that they received assistance from their counselors, the Mastery Experience Seminar, and even Mr. Wasley. Teachers running the projects within their own classes are more than willing to help as well, and want to make sure that completing the credit is as easy and stress free as possible, for every student.