5000 Days

Since 2011, the 5,000 Days Project has followed a group of about 20 Issaquah School District students as they progress toward graduation. The participating students are filmed each year to share their experiences in life and school. You can follow their progress along the way here on the Issaquah School District 5,000 Days website. This space will be like a "scrapbook" of their school days, with items added each year such as pictures, interviews, short film clips, art work, and more. The special stories of a number of these students will be shared in a video documentary available on our YouTube channel.

Why a video documentary project?

The Issaquah School District has a comprehensive mission statement and set of End learning goals that stretch far beyond academics. We want every student to graduate mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially prepared to live satisfying and successful lives. Therefore, we must look beyond traditional standardized tests and get to know what is happening with students at a deeper level to monitor how well our schools and our community are serving children. Hopefully, these online scrapbooks and documentaries will help our entire community better realize that every student has exceptional gifts, struggles, and successes; break down preconceptions and stereotypes about youth; and develop educational and social programs that reflect the reality of what we learn from the films. We also want students to be able to watch the documentaries and recognize that their own personal challenges and feelings are shared by many of their peers. Today's classrooms are complex, dynamic environments, and we would like to invite every community member to see that first-hand through the eyes of our 5,000 Days participants.

How were the participants selected for the project?

With the help of principals and supervisors, information about the Issaquah School District 5,000 Days Project was spread to classroom educators. Educators were invited to suggest open and articulate students with a unique point of view to provide valuable insight into what it is like to learn and grow in the Issaquah School District. From that pool, candidates were narrowed down to ensure we had a representative cross section of students with varying ages, schools, and experiences and interviewed prior to selection.

Who should I contact for more information?

Lesha Engels, Executive Director of Communications