Personal Project

What is the Personal Project?

The Personal Project is a culminating activity in the Middle Years Program (MYP), which gives students the opportunity to work on a large scale project of their own initiative and creativity. The project provides them with a chance for their own personal inquiry into a topic that they feel passionate about, and enables them to utilize the Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills that they have acquired throughout their MYP experience. The Personal Project is also excellent preparation for the IB Diploma Program and the Extended Essay.

While the students are free to select any topic they choose and create their own goals for their projects, their topic must be viewed through the lens of one of the six MYP Global Contexts: Personal & Cultural Expression, Orientation in Time & Space, Scientific & Technical Innovation, Fairness & Development, Globalization & Sustainability or Identities & Relationships). These six Global Contexts make up the foundation of the MYP.

What the Personal Project Entails:

The Personal Project consists of three main parts: the Process Journal, the Product (or outcome), and the Final Report.

The Process Journal is an ongoing documentation of the entire project, and should include student’s research, planning notes, reflections on progress, reflections on ATL usage, etc. Excerpts from the process journal will later be used in the Final Report to show the student’s growth as an IB learner throughout the Personal Project process.

The Product, or Outcome, is what the student’s end goal is. This is determined by the student and then approved by the Personal Project Coordinator. The students then create a series of specifications that they use to determine what their Product will be like and how they will measure its success.

The Final Report is a 3,500 word report reflecting on their achievement throughout the Personal Project process, and is assessed based on the four criterion:
Criterion A: Investigating
Criterion B: Planning
Criterion C: Creating
Criterion D: Reflection

While the format of the final report is typically written, students can have the option to do an oral report or multimedia presentation as well.

The Role of the Personal Project Supervisor

Each student will be assigned a Personal Project Supervisor to help guide and assist them throughout the process. Students will meet regularly with their Supervisor to review their progress and to receive feedback.

General Timeline

The Personal Project is introduced at the end of Year 10 and continues through to Spring of Year 11. It is expected that students will work on their project continuously throughout this time, in addition to their assigned classwork.
Phase 1: Defining Your Goal and Global Context Focus – May (Year 10)
Phase 2: Planning and Creating Specifications – June (Year 10)
Phase 3: Researching and Selecting Sources – Summer
Phase 4: Working towards Product Completion – August to November (Year 11)
Phase 5: Reporting the Project – December to February (Year 11)
The Personal Project Exhibition – March (Year 11)

Assessing the Personal Project

Student success in the Personal Project is assessed through the Final Report. Students have access to a detailed rubric in Managebac, explaining the various strands of each of the four assessment criteria. Their grade for the Personal Project is determined by their Supervisor, and will be on their transcript.

Personal Project Resources

Throughout the process the Personal Project Coordinator holds PP-related workshops, as well as gives additional support for Year 10 and Year 11 students. All students have access to Personal Project resources (detailed timelines, templates, forms, presentations, rubrics) through Managebac. There is also a Personal Project Enhancement Team (PPET) comprised of DP students that offers weekly PP Help Sessions at lunch time for any students in need of extra assistance.

For more information about the Personal Project, please contact:
Michelle Roberts
Personal Project Coordinator & MYP Librarian