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Experiential Passage Body of Evidence

Your reflections and documentation should answer the following questions: What did your
proposal say youd do? What is the evidence that you did it? What did you learn from this
Passage? How do you know you learned? To what extent did you meet each of the 6
Passages Criteria? What is the relevance of this Passage?

Passages Criteria
Proposal Components

Outreach
Introduction Passage must be beyond yourself.
Both the community and the student must be
You outreach to benefit or impact the from the Passage.
community. You emerge with a stronger sense of persona
responsibility stretching all the way out to the larger
of which you are a part.

List individual pieces of documentation here:

Outreach Invitation Letter
Letter to Liz at Before I Die
Communication with Principal
Committee Update
$44 PTSA Check
Minutes from meetings
Reflection:
I wanted to create a project that would push me to reach out to the Denver community to
provoke questions about dreams and aspirations in order to bring the community together.
Through this process, I struggled finding organizations that were interested in participating in my
Passage, but I learned how to continue to be persistent in my pursuit to find an organization
willing to partake in my Passage project.
I worked hard to reach a level of accountability by getting my principal to write a letter of
support, in addition to the email I was sending out to potential collaborators. I found that its hard
to gain recognition and commitment without a network of support that have the ability to open
doors to opportunities and people that would would be willing to engage in my Passage.
However, I realized how helpful my parents were in guiding me to accomplish the goal of
learning how to engage people beyond myself and emerging with a stronger sense of personal
responsibility. My mom was able to write professional emails and send them to varying
organizations, while my dad taught me about making a budget and designing, building, and
assembling the final product.
All together I feel like my ability to set my Passage in motion was a test of my
commitment to creating outreach in my community. The final decision to house the Before I Die
wall at Mile High United Way also exemplifies this aspect that was a big part of my Passages
objectives. The organization itself is committed to social change with a focus on early childhood
development and early literacy, education and youth development, and family income and
economic stability. These values and the environment at United Way were perfect to house my
Before I Die wall. I have done volunteer projects with the organization in the past, and I was
excited to see the responses of the employees and other community members that impact and are
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involved in efforts that benefit the Denver community and beyond.

Your reflections and documentation should answer the following questions: What did your
proposal say youd do? What is the evidence that you did it? What did you learn from this
Passage? How do you know you learned? To what extent did you meet each of the 6
Passages Criteria? What is the relevance of this Passage?

International or intercultural in scope and

Introduction There is a meaningful, authentic
authentically address all four GPS Domains:
international or intercultural component of your work.
Investigate the World
Domains Your global competence is developed in 3-4 Communicate Ideas
of the following domains: Recognize Perspectives
Generating global knowledge
Take Action
Applying cross cultural understanding
Enacting global solutions
Connecting and collaborating across boundaries

List individual pieces of documentation here:

Outreach Invitation Letter
Wall Construction Pictures
Questions for Hansen
Committee Update
Reflection (use language from GPS documents):
As a result of investigating the world in the first place, and traveling to New Orleans Louisiana during the summer of 2015, I was
inspired to build a Before I Die wall in my own community. This inspiration, pushed me to create a project that would frame a
global question that applies to everyone regardless of gender, age, and background. The development of my Passage also
correlates to the synthesis and reflection I experienced as I researched other Before I Die walls and saw the responses of my own.
I noticed that although each response was unique, the creativity and individuality of each response proved my original predictions
were correct. Regardless of where people are they all have dreams and aspirations they want to fulfill. Everything ranging from
the thoughtful to the silly symbolized the human connection everyone shares that relate to the spirit of hopes and dreams.
I had to work a great deal on my networking and communication skills for the success of my Passage. Initially, it was difficult for
me to reach out to organizations who would be willing to respond and participate, so I had to tailor my message and Passage to
find effective collaboration. Additionally, I also experienced difficulties in communication through media outlet. Originally, I
wanted to create a Facebook page and contact media outlets such as 9News to expand the reach of my Passage beyond myself
and the community I was working together with. As one of my objectives it was demanding to meet some of the objectives I set
for myself, but in doing so, I was motivated to contact the Before I Die website and set up a mini-site for me to share pictures and
quotes from my wall on an international platform. The use of both verbal and nonverbal communication on a global scale I hope
will continue to provoke conversation and inspire diverse individuals and groups like me to continue to build Before I Die walls.
Throughout my Passage I have learned to get better at recognizing perspectives and applying my ideas to make them tangible. I
had guidance from varying sources that both supported and challenged my plans for my Passage. I found that by staying calm and
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analyzing the advice given to me I could stay conducive to editing without losing my own perspective. In addition to my own
personal growth, my Passage exemplified the act of recognizing perspectives because the essence of the project was to explore
the multitude of responses on the wall that were influenced by the environment and community different individuals were from. I
am excited and pleased by the fact that the responses proved to be so thought provoking for those involved and point of view of
so many and their responses reminded me how unique everyones perspective is.
More than any other domain, taking action definitely remained one of points where I had the most success and struggle. On one
hand, I worked tirelessly to send what felt like an endless amount of emails inviting organizations to participate in my Passage
with few responses. While on the other hand, I improved my budgeting and construction skills through the creation of my Before
I Die wall. Both experiences pushed me out of my comfort zone by working independently and collaboratively. Additionally, the
project also makes me reflect on the work Ive done in the community and how I now feel comfortable to do another project like
this in the future.

Your reflections and documentation should answer the following questions: What did your
proposal say youd do? What is the evidence that you did it? What did you learn from this
Passage? How do you know you learned? To what extent did you meet each of the 6
Passages Criteria? What is the relevance of this Passage?

Product (or collection of products)

Form You create a product
Your Passage must have some final product at
or collection of products that
the end.
are substantial and
Your product could be tangible and something
demonstrate what you
you can hold.
accomplished and learned.
Your product can be a performance or an
event.

List individual pieces of documentation here:

Late Submission Agreement
MHUW Final Wall

I was so happy and excited to see all the responses from the wall at Mile High United
Way. Everyone had a different response and each one was telling of the varying stages of
life people were experiencing. I myself received many comments and questions while I
was creating my Before I Die wall, and everyone I spoke with was excited and
intrigued by the prospect of engaging in such a unique experience.

This Passage was not only a reflection of my ideas, but also a an exploration of other
peoples thoughts in the community. Even though the wall was in Denver, there was also
other cultural ideas and perspectives shared that followed individual experiences.
Whether it be age, sexual orientation, race, or class the wall gave understanding and
exposure to interpreting and communicating the situations and events in peoples life.
This Passage has global significance in that regard because the question and the
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responses to them are universal and therefore reflect uniquely human characteristics,
making this project so meaningful.

Your reflections and documentation should answer the following questions: What did your
proposal say youd do? What is the evidence that you did it? What did you learn from this
Passage? How do you know you learned? To what extent did you meet each of the 6
Passages Criteria? What is the relevance of this Passage?

Objectives You meet your objectives.

Learning Objectives
A. Become comfortable filling out legal paperwork
B. Broaden my connections with organizations and city officials
C. Express my Passages meaning and importance professionally
D. To learn how to build a successful Before I Die wall
E. To improve my ability to share my Passage on social media and other media outlets effectively and profession
F. To improve my budgeting skills to acquire the proper materials.
List individual pieces of documentation here:
Home Depot Receipt
Outreach Invitation Letter
Communication with Principal
Wall Construction
Letter to Liz at Before I Die
Organization collaboration confirmation
Reflection:
Many of my objectives were broad and were slightly skewed as the plan for my Passage shifted
throughout the semester. However there were some objectives that I went above and beyond in
and developed more than I had originally anticipated. For example, I didnt know how much
work it was going to be to express the meaning and importance of my Passage professionally to
others. However, I began to realize not only could my skills be improved in this area, but how
important it was in getting a foot in the door where organizations took me seriously.
Additionally, my budgeting skills also improved more than I expected as I was challenged to
build and design on both a tight budget and time frame. Some of the areas of my objectives that I
did not quite meet as much as I wanted was the connections between city officials, legal
paperwork, and sharing my Passage on media outlets. The reason for this is both a shift in the
direction of my Passage and also the lack of time I had to allow myself to create a social media
site in such a short period of time. I did contact a representative from Before I Die to set up a
mini-site, but I have yet to hear back on the progress of the inclusion of my wall on their online
database. Overall, I did a good job in meeting the majority of my objectives with success, even
though I struggled through some goals I set for myself.
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Your reflections and documentation should answer the following questions: What did your
proposal say youd do? What is the evidence that you did it? What did you learn from this
Passage? How do you know you learned? To what extent did you meet each of the 6
Passages Criteria? What is the relevance of this Passage?

Preparations You use your Committee as a resource.

Documentation of at least 1 email and/or meeting.

Committee Update
Catch up with mom

Reflection:

Through this process, I didnt use my Passage committee as often as I could or should have but, I
felt that I found other means of support and guidance through my parents. Both of the teachers
on my committee were often extremely busy, but my parents were able to help me at home to go
through processes to complete my Passage successfully. I wish used my Passage committee a
little more even to ask a simple question or just to catch them up on my progress. After this
experience I began to feel more comfortable sending emails and in the future I think Ill be more
confident and motivated to update others via email. In addition, this project has also made me see
the value of having a support system that relieves stress and reminds me that I can collaborate
with others. Before I often felt as though I had to do everything on my own and asking for help
felt as though I was cheating. But after a while, I came to see and value the benefits to having a
committee of individuals with varying perspectives on a project. The committee kept me both
accountable and pushed me to see the possibilities of my Passage in varying situations that I
wouldnt have considered otherwise. For instance, as a result of my parents influence I wouldnt
have worked with the Mile High United Way organization, or had the instruction to build a
structure I would have struggled with otherwise.
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Your reflections and documentation should answer the following questions: What did your
proposal say youd do? What is the evidence that you did it? What did you learn from this
Passage? How do you know you learned? To what extent did you meet each of the 6
Passages Criteria? What is the relevance of this Passage?

Challenge and personal growth

Personal Growth You take
risks, venture outside your
comfort zone, and overcome
at least one personal
obstacle.
You must immerse yourself in new experiences.
You need to actively engage in self-reflection,
personal improvement, and critical inquiry.
You identify your challenges, weaknesses, and ask
for help in ways to improve.
Your Passage leads to a transformation of yourself,
your world, and your place within it.

Reflection (Discuss the extent to which this has been a Rite of Passage.):

Since my original dream of creating a Before I Die wall over the summer to seeing the finished
product in my own community, Ive grown as a person through experiences I wouldnt have had
otherwise. Drafting and sending emails, constructing structures, and collaborating with others
pushed me to develop. Through this project I became more self aware of my own personal
tendencies that both clouded my ability to ask for help and also opened me up to new
perspectives without losing my own vision. In addition, the depth and level of persistence and
attention to detail encouraged me to practice my own responses to real world problems and
obstacles I might experience in life when my plan isnt running as smooth as Id hoped for.

As a whole I recognize how much I have transformed as a person through this experience. I am
now more confident in my ability to do a major project outside of school, and to maintain my
cool during situations where I have to work on a tight schedule. More importantly, Ive seen how
my Passage has provided a unique opportunity to facilitate conversation and connected my
community to that of other places around the world that have participated in this project through
the creation of Before I Die walls. In addition, my Passage has shifted my own personal
perspective on life and how I should enjoy the journey instead of a destination in order to truly
live and appreciate the little things in life. After seeing the multitude of responses I will never
forget this lesson and be reminded of the social connection we all share in our dreams and
aspirations.
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