The IB Middle Years Programme

Personal Project

What is a Personal Project?

This is an independent piece of work that is intended to serve as a culmination of the student’s involvement in the MYP. The student selects the topic of the project. The project is completed in Grade 10 – the last year in the MYP.

The Personal Project can be an essay, piece of research, or even a product of work or art. Teachers are assigned to supervise students and offer advice as necessary. Students are expected to meet all personal project deadlines.

What are the components of the Personal Project?

• The Process Journal is a place for planning, or recording interactions with sources, storing useful information, for exploring ideas, for reflection on stages of the project, for evaluating work completed, for reflecting on learning and for producing the project report.
• Students work for an extended period to produce a product that is included in their personal project presentation.
• The Personal Project Report is a written report in the format of an academic report in English with a minimum of 1,500 words and a maximum of 3,500 words (not including appendices and bibliography).

What are the examples of the Personal Project?

Global context and Examples of personal projects
Identities and relationships Two sides of social networking; an awareness campaign about digital citizenship and cyber bullying How online identities impact offline relationships; a research essay Keeping culinary traditions; a video series following family recipes with historical relevance
Orientation in space and time The Euclidean space perspective of the universe; a 3D model Explorers in search of a new world; immigration over the ages through visual texts The Mayflower and the dream of religious freedom; a personal family history
Personal and cultural expression Video games as a form of cultural expression; a short film using five video games that shows how they are an expression of our culture The art of Manga in Japanese culture; a Japanese anime and a survey of the understanding of my peers
Scientific and technical innovation Nano fibres build stronger bikes; a prototype bike with nano fibres What’s the matter with the anti-matter?; an informational talk Why are genetics and genomics important to my health?; a media presentation
Globalization and sustainability The struggle for water in developing countries; an awareness campaign The impact of the financial crises of Europe and the European Economic Community on the United States; a visual presentation Education as the tool to change the future of Peru; a workshop for adults
Fairness and development Supporting fair trade: Cocoa trade in Ghana; an awareness campaign for our school restaurant/cafeteria to promote fair trade Open-market economies and their role in fair trade; a talk for students Exploring the intersections of race and inequality; a radio broadcast

 

To learn more about the Personal project, click on (PP booklet)