The Senior Mastery Process was initially developed in 1999 by Henry Ford Academy in Dearborn, MI. Its primary purpose is to provide students with an opportunity to learn through experience in an environment where they can make valuable connections between learning in the classroom and learning beyond the school.

The SMP is a three-part, 18-month capstone experience in which students prepare for and complete an extended exploration of their career interests, design and conduct a substantial research project, engage in an internship associated with that research, and present their findings in a formal defense.

While HFLI believes the program design described here, with three distinct components, is what makes the program so beneficial to our students, we also realize that each school is different and has its own set of circumstances that may not permit it to implement the program in total. We have also developed a set of suggestions for schools that wish to adapt this experience to align with their schedule, resources or other circumstances.