Through Project Maverick, the students use their critical thinking skills to collaborate to solve an issue plaguing their community. While doing this project, the students think, create, share, and grow as they inquire, collaborate, and explore the solutions to their community issue (AASL).

Students collaborate in small groups to explore authentic problems and present viable solutions to the community during a Project Maverick Showcase (HLP). The students demonstrate skills for responsible citizenship by using evidence from multiple sources. They consider their plan's costs, benefits, and possible consequences (Govt 1 SOL). To do this, they investigate and evaluate the process of how policy is created and implemented at each bureaucratic level, from school to federal. (Govt 9 SOL)  Students also participate thoughtfully and effectively in civic life by keeping informed about current issues and by respecting differing opinions and the rights of others in their groups, classes, and communities. (Govt 16 SOL)

The students collaboratively make planned persuasive/argumentative interactive presentations and listen actively to their group members and people they interview or share their projects with. They anticipate and address alternative or opposing perspectives and counterclaims as well as cite sources. (Eng 12.1 SOL) The students also examine how values and points of view are included or excluded, and how media influences beliefs and behaviors as they do their research. (Eng 12.2 SOL) Besides using the internet to find sources,  students read, interpret, analyze, and evaluate a variety of nonfiction printed texts and speak to authorities on their topic.  (Eng 12. 5 SOL) The students also analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and organize information from a variety of credible resources to produce their final product (Eng 12.8 SOL), and they write and revise a persuasive plan, as well as provide visuals to market their ideas to the public and/or decision-makers. (Eng 12.6 SOL) 

Before the students delve into research, they present a proposal to a panel of adult educators, public officials, and community members. After they receive feedback, they reflect on what they need to do to move forward. At the end of the project, they reflect again so they are prepared when they have to solve another problem in the community at another time or place. (HLP)  The presentations show how the students grow from the time of the proposal to the time of the presentation.