As the seniors at Eastern Regional High School work hard on finishing their studies and prepare to graduate in just about 50 days, there’s a group of parents also working hard to ensure those very same seniors can have a fun time free of drugs, alcohol and other negative influences on the night of graduation.
That work is taking place through Eastern High School’s Project Graduation, and according to this year’s co-chair Stephanie Caputi, the event serves as a pressure-free way for seniors to say goodbye to one another.
“It’s the last time that a lot of these kids are really going be together,” Caputi said. “Some of these kids have been together from when they were in kindergarten through high school, and they don’t really understand that once they get to college, you don’t really see everybody anymore.”
Projecting Graduation grew as a nationwide effort in the mid-1980s with parent-led groups raising money to provide drug- and alcohol-free parties to high school seniors on the night of graduation in an attempt to lower the number of students who would otherwise engage in risky or illegal behavior and potentially hurt themselves or others.
The concept first came to Eastern in 1993, and according to Caputi, there’s still a lot to be done, not just for this current batch of graduating seniors, but also for those to follow in the years to come, and membership has been down in recent years.
“Our membership dues are very important to our organization,” Caputi said.
Caputi said she believes what many parents don’t realize is the work and money raised for Eastern’s Project Graduation accumulates from year to year, so providing an event for seniors starts when they’re freshman and younger.
“It keeps going each year,” Caputi said. “We want the freshmen parents, we want parents that have an eighth grader and seventh graders.”
Regarding this year’s Project Graduation, Caputi said the party will take place on the night of graduation on June 18 at Dave & Buster’s restaurant and video game arcade in Philadelphia.
Although enough money has been raised for this year’s party and planning is underway, Caputi said the group still needs the parents of students from any grade level and other volunteers over the age of 25 to act as chaperones.
“We don’t just need senior parents to chaperone,” Caputi said. “Any parent can be a chaperone. As long as they’re 25, they can be a chaperone. Even older siblings that are 25, 26, 27 can be chaperones. Anybody that wants to be a chaperone that can be, we’ll take.”
Caputi said the event itself is also shaping up to be a great time, with plans to have an entertainment company present an almost carnival-like setting,
The event will also feature raffles with prizes such as an authenticated hockey stick used during practice by Claude Giroux, the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers, as well as a mini-refrigerator that can be used in college, and possibly even a television.
Caputi said tickets for the event will be available to seniors during all senior lunches at Eastern June 2–5 for $10, which include transportation to and from the party, entry, entertainment, food, raffle entry and a t-shirt.
Those parents and community members looking to become involved with the Project Graduation organization at Eastern for a $15 per family annual membership fee, or those looking to chaperone this year’s event, can visit www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=easternprojectgraduation for more information.
“We’re just hoping for a really great turnout,” Caputi said.
