The Pinewood Scholars Program (PSP) is our signature initiative for juniors and seniors. By inviting our students to engage in design thinking, project-based learning, and community partnerships, PSP empowers students to become changemakers in their world.
Senior Projects
We're excited to showcase the results of our PSP seniors' passion projects, where they addressed real-world issues with dedication and innovation. Using Design Thinking, the students effectively understood their clients' needs through observation and interviews, developing practical, human-centered solutions. We're proud to share the final outcomes of these projects with you!
Oscar Barnes • Grantlada
Grantlada is an independent freelance grant-writing organization dedicated to financially supporting underserved nonprofits
Contact Oscar at 23obarnes@pinewood.edu to learn more.
Rachel Farhoudi • The Flavors of Pinewood
The Flavors of Pinewood is a creative cookbook that celebrates the unique traditions and cultural diversity at Pinewood School. Contact Rachel at 23rfarhoudi@pinewood.edu.
Myles Fox • Project Rejoice
Project Rejoice aims to create an inclusive curriculum for all high school students. Contact Myles at 23mfox@pinewood.edu.
Ayana Jassal • Penning Pathways
Penning Pathways is a mission-driven organization aimed to increase elderly independence, spread awareness about elderly-related issues, and make them feel less alone. Learn more here. Contact Ayana at 23ajassal@pinewood.edu.
Rathi Kolappa • Pics for Pets
Pics for Pets is an organization that professionally photographs adoptable animals in hopes of helping them find their forever homes. Learn more here. Contact Rathi at 23rkolappa@pinewood.edu.
Peyton Meinhardt • Ginger Roots
Ginger Roots is an organization helping people make the most out of the unusual food they receive at food pantries. Learn more here. Contact Peyton at 23pmeinhardt@pinewood.edu.
Audrey Nelson • Bundles Building Bridges
Bundles Building Bridges aims to decrease isolation and homesickness for long-term hospitalized children with personalized kits that include comfort foods and stuffed animals. Learn more here. Contact Audrey at 23anelson@pinewood.edu.
Devan Reynard • Saving Seniors From Scams
Saving Seniors from Scams is an organization focused on teaching seniors how to identify and react to scams. Learn more here. Contact Devan at 23dreynard@pinewood.edu.
Ashton Riches • Soapy Studies
Soapy Studies provides learning opportunities and connections one wash at a time at uninspiring places (such as laundromats) in the Bay Area. Contact Ashton at 23ariches@pinewood.edu.
Carolyn Steeg • Doggie Dash
Doggie Dash was a fundraiser and social event held on March 25th to spread awareness of dog adoption at Pinewood. Learn more here. Contact Carolyn at 23csteeg@pinewood.edu.
Niki Taradash • Mirrors: Reflecting on Identity
Mirrors: Reflecting on Identity was a collaboration with the Japanese American Museum in San Jose to share and celebrate Japanese culture in unique ways such as curating an exhibit of bi-racial student artists or a bi-racial celebration event. Contact Niki at 23ntaradash@pinewood.edu.
Junior Projects
Charlie’s Supply
Jakob Klieman, Vishesh Ranganathan, Anika Nambisan
24jkleiman@pinewood.edu, 24vranganathan@pinewood.edu, 24anambisan@pinewood.edu
Charlie’s Supply is an organization devoted to finding new homes for medical supplies for people who need them.
Finding Furever Homes
Cole Chatterjee, Elena Magliaro
24cchatterjee@pinewood.edu, 24emagliaro@pinewood.edu
Finding Furrever Homes creates engaging social media videos to inspire the adoption of older dogs.
PSP Project Events
Doggie Dash • On Saturday, March 25th, senior Carolyn Steeg organized Doggie Dash, a community event aimed at raising awareness about animal welfare. All proceeds from the event went to Pets in Need.
Finding Furrever Homes • On Saturday, March 25th, juniors Cole Chatterjee and Elena Magliario created homemade dog cookies to sell at the Doggie Dash event. The money raised went to Pets In Need. The students also used the event to spread the word about the Humane Society of Silicon Valley’s “Diamond in the Rough” dogs.
Mirrors: Reflecting on Identity • Niki Taradash collaborated with the Japanese American Museum in San Jose to create an event celebrating bi-racial identity on March 11th. The intention of the event was to create a safe space where people could come together to speak about personal experiences surrounding race.
Teacher Networking Pitch Lunch • At the end of February, the junior and senior PSP students presented their project ideas to the teachers and administrators of Pinewood's Upper Campus. After gathering lunch, the students introduced their one-minute “elevator pitches” detailing their project focus and their “ask” to the community. The students did a beautiful job summarizing their passion projects! Bravo! Watch the students' pitches here.
PSP Showcase • On Tuesday, March 28th, the PSP students presented their projects to Pinewood's 9th and 10th-grade students. The PSP students conducted an activity related to their project and shared their project journeys with the underclassmen. The event aimed to inspire young people to make a difference in their communities.
Field Trips
Venturing into the community for short field trips is a significant component of the PSP program. Students gain inspiration for their senior year PSP projects by meeting change makers in our neighborhood. Experiences outside the classroom help the students understand first-hand how local mission-driven organizations approach community issues.
Palo Alto Junior Museum • The PSP juniors and seniors went to the Palo Alto Junior Museum on January 17th to meet with John Aikin, the Executive Director, who discussed the museum’s governing structure and business operations. He shared information about his relationship as exofacial board member and their official representative under a formal agreement with the City of Palo Alto to the fundraising partner, The Friends of the Junior Museum. The students loved learning about this unusual funding approach that this museum uses to serve the community. The museum was founded in 1934 by members of the community. Once the private sector built the first museum in 1941, the City became the governing authority. Mr. Aikin took the helm in 2008 after working for the San Francisco Zoological Society for 29 years.
Ada's Cafe • The students enjoyed lunch and had the pleasure of meeting with the founder of Ada’s Cafe, Kathleen Foley-Hughes. As the mother of a child with a developmental disability, Kathleen wanted to create opportunities to empower her son and help him be independent. She shared her inspiring personal story of building her non-profit cafe. Ada's Cafe is a 501(c)(3), non-profit corporation dedicated to hiring, training, and empowering employees with disabilities. The students asked thoughtful questions about how the cafe runs as a non-profit and supports the community. After lunch, students explored the cafe and met some of the employees. It was a great opportunity for my students to learn more about how an idea can turn into something magical.
Guest Speaker Series
On April 20th, Rob Meinhardt presented a talk in our class as part of the speaker series, Start Me Up: Lessons From The Frontline. His presentation, titled "Creating Apple-like Customer References and Advocates," focused on the emotional aspects that contribute to enthusiastic customer advocacy. Drawing from examples at Apple and his own company, KACE, Rob emphasized the importance of developing a company identity that resonates with the target audience. The students thoroughly enjoyed discussing their own observations on brand identity and its influence on their purchasing choices with Mr. Meinhardt. We are incredibly grateful for his ongoing contributions and insights shared with our class.