The Big Picture: What? Why? How?

What is the Personal Project?

The Personal Project is a required project for students in year 5 of the MYP program. As such, it is an opportunity for you to guide your own learning in a project driven by your interests based on experiences inside or outside of school (or both!).

Why is the Personal Project important for students?

As outlined in the Personal Project guide, the personal project is an opportunity for students to:

1. Inquire (Planning stage of the project)

   • Explore an interest that is personally meaningful

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

2. Act (Apply skills stage of the project)

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

3. Reflect (Reflection stage of the project)

   • Recognize and evidence personal growth and development

In the process of completing the Personal Project, you’ll establish a learning goal, create a product, apply skills, and reflect. While this project is part of school, this kind of project transfers to all sorts of applications outside of school. As always, you get what you give. Invest in the process so you can learn and grow!

Here’s the IB Introduction to the Personal Project (also embedded below) and the RHS introduction (embedded below as well).

What are the expectations?

The project is intended to take students approximately 25 hours. Rocket Block is a time when students can work. Rocket Block is also a time when you’ll receive support as you work through each stage of the project. Will some students take more than 25 hours? Yes. Will some take less? Yes. Everyone will be on a different path driven by their learning goal.

You play a part in setting the expectations as you get to establish success criteria for your specific project. Beyond that, your project is also scored using this Criteria.