MYP Personal Project 2019

Project passion 

by John Collins, MYP Coordinator

The MYP personal project is a student-centred practical exploration in which students choose an area of interest to research and develop a product over an extended period of time. They are assisted in this process by a supervisor and are required to record the progress of their project in a process journal. Ultimately, students complete an assessable report (of between 1500-3500 words) which details their learning journey.

This year's cohort produced an amazing array of diverse projects showcasing their unique interests and abilities. The exhibition held on 22 and 23 August was a great success with students setting up displays to encourage conversations about their work. It was wonderful to hear them talk with such passion and maturity, identifying the challenges they faced and explaining how they overcame them.

We had some truly unique exhibits and it's difficult to select just a few… but I've never shied away from the difficult - so here goes.

Huntah documented her journey to India and the connections she made there. Anyone who was lucky enough to chat with her during the exhibition would have picked up on the immense passion that this experience has given her for the plight of under-privileged children.

Asher created some beautiful artworks that posed a question about society's sexualisation of women. Her project was as much about the conversations she had with people throughout the exhibition as it was about the artworks.

Jakob customised a bike for his particular style of free-style BMX riding. Hearing him talk about the decisions he made regarding the geometry of the bike was fascinating... trying to ride it, only to realise that free-style bikes don't have breaks, was terrifying.

Paddy developed a business - Paddy's Paws - that offers dog walking and dog sitting. You can find Paddy's Paws at https://paddyspaws.business/#/home.php

I could go on and on. There were projects looking at: the fashion industry, sporting achievements, creating small businesses, the youth justice system, game design (both digital and board games), doll modification, learning instruments and much, much more.

We had guests from some other schools attend the exhibition and were enthralled at what our students had to say about their projects. These schools are just beginning the transition to the MYP and they came to see what the Personal Project looks like at Preshil.

On behalf of the Preshil community, I'd like to extend heartfelt congratulations to all the Year 10s on their hard work, perseverance and dedication to the project.