It was a sunny Thursday, March 2nd of 2023 that marked an end to the MYP Personal Projects for the Class of 2025. It was a bittersweet moment, the traditional rite-of-passage for the 10th graders, but also the official end of the Middle Years Programme. It has been a tradition at CDS to participate in Personal Projects, benefiting a plethora of students in the process.

The Personal Projects are an undertaking that commences at the end of freshman year and continues on until February of sophomore year, where students have to find a project they are passionate about that either benefits them, or their community. This year saw various projects such as making an ASL dictionary by Lorelei C, finding a novel way to eliminate added sugar in chocolate milk by Aarnav C, and building affordable housing on Newport by Drew F. They involve four different steps: pursuing your project, documenting the project through a process journal, creating a paper or screencast to describe and explain your project, and finally, presenting your project at the project fair. The personal projects involve lots of hard work, dedication, and persistence, but students are able to see all of their hard work pay off in the end.

Mrs. McCartney, the MYP Coordinator at CDS, shared that “The Class of 2025 shined, and there were many compliments about how well everyone explained their projects – best class they ever heard at Project Fair!”

Students had ideas and thoughts to share too; Michael R. (’25) said, “It was nice to see all of the different projects and it was a fun experience, though it was a bittersweet moment as it signals the end of the personal projects we had been working on the whole year. Aside from what I learned and the skills I developed alongside my project, I also learned that being able to do a project that you’re truly passionate about allows us to to build a deeper connection with how they can relieve stress and derive enjoyment from simple activities.” Logan F. (’25) said “I’m happy that the projects are over, but at the same time, I’m glad and proud I did it. I learned I can accomplish a lot if I believe in myself and push myself to work hard, but find enjoyment in it as well.”

While it is the official end of the Middle Years Programme, sophomores are now looking towards the Diploma Programme in 11th and 12th Grades to finish off their years as an IB Student.

Thank you to all of the teachers and facilitators who made this wonderful event possible, and congratulations to the Class of 2025 for their successful Personal Projects!