PERSONAL PROJECTS HELP DEMONSTRATE IB-MYP MASTERY
Share this article with a friend.
February 8, 2023
For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, an independent, Catholic, International Baccalaureate school, please visit the admissions section of our website here.
The hard work and creativity of Notre Dame sophomores in the school’s International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program is on display this week as the 10th graders present their personal projects.
The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program's Personal Project is the culmination for many sophomores of their time spent with the MYP curriculum. In 2020, the school changed its approach to this IB component by offering it as an elective to sophomores vs. a requirement, and this year is the fourth year under that policy.
On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the Notre Dame Prep sophomores who are participating this year are celebrating and presenting their projects to members of the freshman class in the main school library. Tonight, families of the sophomores have been invited to the library to also help celebrate their hard work.
The International Baccalaureate says it places “great importance” on the development of each student’s unique talent and the personal project provides a critical assessment of how that talent has manifested itself over the course of the MYP. Each personal project is monitored by a teacher/supervisor, but it is the student’s responsibility to complete all its components.
The personal project also encourages students to learn to manage and direct their own inquiry and further develop the skills they have learned through the MYP. Each student leads the process of developing the personal project and assessment stands as a summative review of their ability to conduct independent work using the areas of interaction as contexts for their learning.
What is the IB-MYP?
The MYP course of study consists of eight subject groups integrated through five interactive areas providing global contexts for learning. Students are required to study at least two languages (as part of their multilingual profile), humanities, sciences, mathematics, arts, physical education and technology. In their final year in MYP, students undertake this independent personal project to demonstrate the development of their skills and understanding.
When Notre Dame Prep changed the basic requirements of the Personal Project course in 2020, the approach was designed to reaffirm the school's commitment to helping students better manage stress in general and the rigor sometimes associated with the Personal Project.
The IB-MYP Personal Project is an independent project task that allows students to achieve a goal or dream while also developing valuable project skills of time management, critical and creative thinking, research, collaboration, and more. Students are able to show principled action as a result of sustained inquiry and critical reflection over an extended period.
In short, students involved in the Personal Project act upon a natural curiosity in a topic of self-directed interest.
FOR MORE ON NOTRE DAME'S IB PROGRAM, CLICK HERE.
While Notre Dame Prep cannot change the basic requirements of the Personal Project course, the newer elective approach that more fully supports participants reflects the school's commitment to helping students better manage stress.
Megan Rochon, who works as a librarian at Notre Dame and became the IB-MYP personal project coordinator last year, was once again delighted to see such talent from the students.
"The Personal Project is a one-semester, independent project course that sophomores can elect to take," she said. "It's part of the IB Middle Years Program and each year, the students end the project by presenting their projects to the freshmen who will have the same opportunities next year."
The sophomores who participated in the elective Personal Projects component of IB-MYP this year are listed below with their projects:
Elyse Abbott
Learning Goal
Learn about different cultures and foods around the world
Product Goal
Make a cookbook with 3-course meal recipes from the countries of Greece, Mexico, Italy, France, and Ireland
Kiersten Alexander
Learning Goal
To learn how to bake and cook better
Product Goal
To bake better and hone my skills
Alessa Atallah
Learning Goal
Learn what it takes to start a small business
Product Goal
Start an Etsy store and have at least 10 items for sale
Cecilia Belej
Learning Goal
Study time travel in different TV shows and movies
Product Goal
Create a slideshow displaying what I’ve learned about time travel
Eric Davis
Learning Goal
To learn about what resources are most helpful for those that are facing poverty versus which sources are not helpful to those in poverty
Product Goal
To do a food drive for the Lighthouse organization
Erin Delaney
Learning Goal
Understand those suffering from homelessness in my community and take action to help them
Product Goal
Create a fundraiser and be able to package 400 toiletry bags and donate to a homeless shelter
Victoria Devine
Learning Goal
Advance piano skills
Product Goal
Learn my goal songs
Ana Dimovski
Learning Goal
My learning goal is to be able to face and be flexible with plans when running into a challenge, or obstacle
Product Goal
My product goal is to create and restore the stone to give back to the community
Claire Donovan
Learning Goal
To learn how to run a gluten free cupcake business independently
Product Goal
To sell 30 dozen cupcakes
Jennifer Gaytan
Learning Goal
Create art in different mediums and learn new techniques
Product Goal
Make at least 4 original works of art
Isabelle Gumma
Learning Goal
To learn how to cook cultural Chaldean meals and the traditions behind it
Product Goal
Cook 3 traditional Chaldean meals
Ava Hustyi
Learning Goal
To observe and change my habits over 100
days
Product Goal
Create a slideshow of photos taken over the 100 days
Elaina Kalabat
Learning Goal
Learn how to draw an inner home layout
Product Goal
Create a home layout for my dad’s engineering companay
Amelia Kayi
Learning Goal
Learn how to create an online business
Product Goal
Sell over $100 worth of cake in two weeks
Mary Elise Kozemchak
Learning Goal
To develop and explore my journalism and writing skills
Product Goal
Deliver important information about the Yacht Club in a creative and effective way.
Mary Grace Kozemchak
Learning Goal
How businesses run successfully
Product Goal
Create my own small business over the summer
Geralyn Nguyen
Learning Goal
To expand my graphic design experience and my lettering/calligraphy skills.
Product Goal
Create a handwritten font
Samuel Phillips
Learning Goal
Learn how to play the guitar
Product Goal
Write a song
CJ Studt
Learning Goal
To learn about the history of my house
Product Goal
Begin the application process of my house becoming a historical landmark
Audrey Thummel
Learning Goal
Learn more about Roman History– specifically the ruin of Hadrian’s Tomb
Product Goal
Create visual architectural sketch of Hadrian’s Tomb as well as a background facts sheet presenting the history of the ruin
AJ Valentine
Learning Goal
Learn how to garden indoors and cook using the grown ingredients
Product Goal
Make multiple dishes for my family on Thanksgiving and Christmas
For information on enrollment and registration at Notre Dame, an independent, Catholic, International Baccalaureate school, please visit the admissions section of our website here.
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org
Follow Notre Dame on Twitter at @NDPMA.
About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.