Personal Project
What is the Personal Project?
The MYP Personal Project is a student-centered and age-appropriate practical exploration. This is a long-term project designed as an independent learning experience of approximately 25 hours. All 10th grade students will complete this task and submit their final product in their English 10 class.
The personal project assesses students' Approaches to Learning skills for self-management, research, communication, critical and creative thinking, and collaboration.
The personal project encourages students to practice and strengthen their ATL skills, to connect classroom learning engagements with personal experience, and to develop their own interests for lifelong learning.
The project offers many opportunities for differentiation of learning and expression according to students’ individual needs. The personal nature of the project is important; the project should revolve around a challenge that motivates and interests the individual student.
Project Components
Students address personal projects objectives through:
- the process they follow
- the product or outcome they create
- the report or presentation they make that explains what they have done and learned
The students document their thinking, research process and development of their initial ideas by developing an outline of a challenging but manageable goal. Examples:
- original works of art
- models
- business plans
- campaigns
- blueprints
- performances
- fieldwork
- narrative essays
- films
- computer programs
Students document their project work in their process journal--a learning strategy that helps students record and learn from their work as well as promote academic honesty. They represent an evolving record of plans, ideas, and accomplishments while providing a repository for essential reflections on learning and formative feedback on their work.
Benefits of Personal Project
The Personal Project (PP) provides an excellent opportunity for students to produce a truly personal and often creative product/outcome and to demonstrate a consolidation of their learning in the MYP.
The aims of the MYP personal project are to encourage and enable students to:
- participate in a sustained, self-directed inquiry within a global context
- generate creative new insights and develop deeper understandings through in-depth investigation
- demonstrate the skills, attitudes and knowledge required to complete a project over an extended period of time
- communicate effectively in a variety of situations
- demonstrate responsible action through, or as a result of, learning
- appreciate the process of learning and take pride in their accomplishments.