About the Personal Project

The Personal Project is a culminating activity of the IB Middle Years Program. It is an important student-directed inquiry that is completed in sophomore year. The Personal Project can take the form of a piece of independent research and/or investigation that takes the form of a student’s choice, such as a research paper, an original written play or short story, the building of a piece of furniture or other product, and so on .It provides an opportunity for students to produce a truly creative and personal piece of work while they demonstrate the ATL skills they have acquired through their years in the IB Middle Years Program.

Aims

The personal project is an opportunity for students to:

  • inquire

      • explore an interest that is personally meaningful

      • take ownership of their learning by undertaking a self-directed inquiry

  • act

      • transfer and apply skills in pursuit of a learning goal and the creation of a product

  • reflect

      • recognize and evidence personal growth and development.

From Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)

Objectives

There are three objectives for the personal project which state the specific learning targets for each stage of the project. These objectives will help define what you will accomplish in your project, and your personal project is assessed using these objectives and aligned assessment criteria.

Objective A: Planning

i. state a learning goal for the project and explain how a personal interest led to that goal

ii. state an intended product and develop appropriate success criteria for the product

iii. present a clear, detailed plan for achieving the product and its associated success criteria.

Objective B: Applying Skills

i. explain how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal

ii. explain how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product.

Objective C: Reflecting

i. explain the impact of the project on themselves or their learning

ii. evaluate the product based on the success criteria.

When should I work on the project?

Your English 10 teachers will support you with the personal project and provide you some class time to guide you through this process. The project should take you about 25 hours to complete so you will have to dedicate time outside of class-- especially the development of your product! This will be your chance to dedicate time to work on your product or outcome.

Stay on top of your deadlines, and you have lots of time during weekends and breaks (Thanksgiving and Winter) to work!

What do I have to turn in or submit?

Evidence of Process

You will document the process of your project from start to finish. You can do this in any format that works for you.

Report

This report will describe how you met all the objectives (Planning, Applying Skills, Reflecting).


Exhibition

You will share your learning and experience to an audience.

Stay tuned for more information!