MYP Personal Project
The Personal Project is an
opportunity for students to:
• inquire explore an interest that is personally meaningful take ownership of their learning by undertaking a self-directed inquiry
• act transfer and apply skills in pursuit of a learning goal and the creation of a product
• reflect on, recognize and evidence personal growth and development.
What is a Personal Project?
Have you ever wanted to build a guitar? Do you have a secret passion to write a play? Now is your chance! The personal project is your project to do what you want to do, to show the skills you have developed over the years in your subjects and through approaches to learning, and to apply them to an area or topic on which you decide.
The personal project holds a place of special importance in the MYP, and thus it should be closely linked to the areas of interaction. Remember, you will be working on this project for an extended period of time, and your grade for the personal project is as important as any subject grade, so it needs to be something you really want to do.
There are a wide variety of choices you could consider, such as:
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an original work of art (visual, dramatic, performance, etc.)
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a written piece of work on a special topic (literary, social, psychological, anthropological, etc.)
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a piece of literary fiction (creative writing)
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an original science experiment or career investigation
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an invention or specially-designed object or system (computer game)
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the presentation of a developed business, management, or organizational plan, i.e. for an entrepreneurial business or project, a special event, or the development of a new student or community organization.
Your personal project should include a process journal, a product and a written report.
Whatever form you decide on, your personal project should:
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allow you to express a truly personal message
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be the result of your initiative, creativity and ability to organize and create
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reflect your special interests, hobbies, special abilities, or concerns about particular issues
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deal with a topic or area to which you are committed.
Your personal project must not:
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be something completed at the last minute.
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destroy your personal and social life, nor interfere with your studies, even though it will involve many hours of work.
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be bound by any specific subject.
The Personal Project Criteria:
Criterion A: Planning
i. state a learning goal for the project and explain how a personal interest led to that goal
ii. state an intended product and develop appropriate success criteria for the product
iii. present a clear, detailed plan for achieving the product and its associated success criteria.
Criterion B: Applying Skills
i. explain how the Approaches to Learning (ATL) skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal
ii. explain how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product
Criterion C: Reflecting
i. explain the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. evaluate the product based on the success criteria.
