Project Proposal

Sydney Cherry
Sydney Cherry

4B

9/12/2017

A. Overview

My project is on the relationship between Israel and the United States. More specifically,

the project will focus on how the relationship has evolved and how it has affected the United

States stance on other issues in foreign policy. I have selected this topic because Israel is the

United States’s biggest ally. Over the years, the relationship has changed because of different

presidents and different issues going on involving Israel (the conflict with Palestine.) The United

States has given billions of dollars to Israel to maintain United States presence in the area. The

driving questions for my project will be:

● How has the relationship with Israel evolved since the Holocaust?

● What role has the United States played in the issue with Palestine?

● How has the United States relationship with Israel affected the relationship with

other countries in the region?

● How has the United States influenced Israeli law?

One of my biggest reasons for doing this issue is I have been interested in foreign policy for a

long time. In my experience in debate, one of my favorite things to debate was the growing

conflicts in Israel. I have already done a lot of research about Israel and it has always interested

me. I have already reached out to many people in our community to ask questions and learn
more. I went to the Jewish Community Center earlier in the summer to speak with a woman who

coordinates Israeli relationships in our community and in D.C. For my project, I will be making a

documentary of myself interviewing many people who are knowledgeable in international policy

involving Israel. I will have a showing of documentary where I will invite guest speakers. I plan

on inviting young students like myself.

My consultant for my project this project will be Mr. John Sutton. He has been crucial in

helping us develop international minds through the Foreign Policy Working Group. I am

planning on holding my project at the Jewish Community Center. I plan on being one of the

earlier projects so I hope to do it in March. The evaluation of my project will be through an exit

survey that people can do on their way out. I will focus on what everyone has learned, how

interactive the project was, and what skills they took from the project. For the project, I will need

access to a video camera, an editing system, ways to advertise the project (paper and electronic),

and a computer.

B. Learning Targets, Growth Goals, and Skills

New learning skills will include:

● Reaching out to professionals by myself

● Filming and editing a video

● How to host a movie screening

Enhanced Learning Skills will include:

● Conducting a professional interview

● Teaching others how to find their interests

Growth Goals:

● Professionalism

● Time management

● Patience

C. Marketing Plan/Facilities/Audience

My target audience will be those who are uninformed about foreign policy issues involving

Israel. I think that it is extremely important to be aware of these issues as a citizen. I hope that

people feel more globally aware after attending my project. To accomplish this, I will extend the

invitation to many people. I intend to invite any high school students who seek to be more

informed. I want to do this with a special focus on anyone from Tallwood as they are the global

studies academy. Additionally, I intend to invite any international studies students. They will

benefit from this by being more informed citizens. To advertise my project, I will use many

strategies. I intend on creating a trailer for my documentary, flyers, online flyers, putting things

on my own social medias, and extending personal invitations to everyone I know. My venue will

be the Jewish Community Center as they have a room that I can present my documentary in.

Also, the Jewish Community Center is a central location. I have been in contact with a woman

who works there so I am hoping that I can use this facility for my project.

D. Project Steps

Preliminary Steps 1. Create a storyboard for the video.

2. Create a script for the introduction of the video.

 3. Contact professionals to be apart of the documentary.

4. Contact professionals to come to the screening and be guest

speakers.

5. Gather equipment and get a video editing software.

6. Contact my venue and solidify a date.

Midway Steps 1. Begin filming my documentary and conducting interviews.

2. Revise my storyboard and introduction.

3. Create advertisements and start posting them.

4. Confirm who will be speaking at my project.

Later Steps 1. Create the documentary.

2. Create exit surveys for those attending.

3. Continue to meet with my sponsor to solidify things.

4. Continue to advertise my project.

5. Continue to be in contact with those speaking at the project.

Follow Up 1. Thank you letters for everyone that participated in my project.

2. Analyze the results of my surveys and create a graph.

Total 20+

E. Project Documentation

● Screenshots of texts and emails with professionals

 ● Screenshots of any social media posts I make

● Screenshots of any correspondence I have with those potentially attending my project

● Storyboard for my documentary

● Script for my documentary

● Phone logs

● Receipts of anything bought

● Pictures and videos of my trips

● Flyers and advertisement pictures

F. Project Justification

This project will be important because there are many people who are uninformed about foreign

policy issues. United States’s presence in other countries has become increasingly important.

There are many young people who don’t know what is going on in Israel. As we all become of

age to vote, it is very important to understand what is going on and how you feel about it. This

project is a challenge for me because I have never done this type of in depth research on a topic

like this before. I have researched it in debate but I have always been interested in learning more.

It will be challenging for me to understand a lot about another country because I have been used

to my own this whole time. Additionally, I have never created a professional documentary

before. I have done interviews in the past but I will need to learn how to hold my own with many

experienced professionals. Learning how to conduct very professional interviews and create a

documentary will be very challenging for me considering I have little experience in both.

G. Project-Paper Connection
I hope to answer my driving questions in both my paper and my project. My paper will focus on

foreign policy between Israel and the United States. My project will be a documentary about my

journal on learning all of this. My paper will provide all the information necessary and will guide

the creation of the documentary. The documentary will answer all my essential questions

regarding Israel. Then, I will hopefully have guest speakers to assist at the project in helping

explain the problem.

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.