Personal Project Showcase

Personal Project Showcase
Personal Project Showcase

Approximately 95 10th-graders in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program at KHS recently presented their Personal Projects to the Kokomo community during a showcase at the high school.

Kokomo High School is a partner school with Central Middle International School in offering the IB Middle Years Program for grades 6 through 10, with the goal of developing Internationally minded students.
Personal Project Showcase

The Personal Project is the culminating activity for students in year 5 of MYP. The IB students utilize skills developed during MYP, select an idea for a project, research that idea, and develop that project. While working with a school IB supervisor, the bulk of the project is completed outside of school hours. Students record their activity in a process journal and write an essay concerning their research and project.

The 2018 project topics included, Learning Calligraphy, Sustainable Farming, Learning the Ukulele, Globalization in Fashion, Creating a Vegetarian Cookbook, Making a Prototype of a Search and Rescue Robot, and Making Spray Paint Art, as well as many more.

KHS sophomore Brayden York’s project, “Your Journey Awaits”, explored the importance of international travel in the IB program, and aimed to help others take part in such travel experiences. Brayden’s project involved developing a scholarship – the Melanie Peoples Memorial Travel Scholarship – to assist Kokomo School Corporation students interested in participating in one of the district’s exchange programs to countries such as Costa Rica, Chile, England, and China.
Personal Project Showcase

“These immersion trips, offered at Central Middle International School, and Kokomo High School, truly help students become world citizens and international learners,” Brayden explained. “I want to help other students to have these amazing experiences.”

Brayden organized a silent auction to raise money for the scholarship. This auction, which featured 15 items donated by local businesses and community members, took place during the Personal Project Showcase. Brayden had hoped to raise $500, through the auction and donations, but was amazed to learn he had raised $2,197 for the scholarship.

“I am so grateful to everyone who donated, assisted, or encouraged me throughout this process,” Brayden noted. “This journey has been life changing, and I can’t wait to continue sharing my project with many others in the years to come.”

KHS sophomore Alexis Hall thought all summer about her personal project, and came up with something that fit her life and passions.

“I knew my project would focus on dance because my life revolves around dance,” Alexis explained. “I narrowed my project topics down to three options, but I felt one fit the IB design cycle perfectly. I selected ‘the Design of Dance’ as my project. This is a perfect way to show my progression throughout the dance season.”
Personal Project Showcase

In her project, Alexis described, from start to finish, what it takes to create a solo for a state competition. She showed the work that goes into a solo… from choreography, to costuming, to practicing, to re-blocking, and practicing again. Alexis spent five months working on her project. This time was spent gathering evidence – photos, videos, journals, etc.

“This experience has shown me how I’ve grown as a student and as a dancer,” Alexis added.

Central Middle International School teacher Mary Page served as a Project Supervisor for the personal projects, and enjoys being able to work with the students.

“One of the rewards of being a supervisor is seeing how much these students have matured between middle school and high school,” Ms. Page noted. “Guiding these students through projects – whether they be focused on philanthropy, research, technology, or personal growth – shows me how much the students have learned and grown during their five years in the IB Middle Years Program.”

 

Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.