Wooster High School ninth and tenth grade students got a chance to showcase their projects they've been working on all year long.
They refer to them as personal projects, which means the students can showcase anything they are passionate about.
Zeynep Evennson, the Middle Years Program (MYP) Coordinator at Wooster High School says “They are encouraged to pick anything they want that they’re interested in because when they’re interested in something that they like they continue to work on it and they come up with some great ideas.”
Projects like these help build skills for college as well ad building a report and experience creating a product.
It can also help the student hone in their research and communication skills.
Evannson says for some of the students this is a huge skill to have as they're learning English.
She goes on to say “We also have a few new English learners within our group this is their first year that we have some very limited English speakers that wanted to do this showcase so we’re very proud that there’s about ten of them with almost no English but they are showcasing their product so we are very very proud.”
And some of the products stood out tremendously.
“Some of these projects are really amazing there is a couple that I didn’t expect to be so impactful we have one that built a school library and mobile library and an elementary school they donated there so I think that’s fantastic.”
Alejandra Gonzalez-Bravo and Roselyn Aguirre, both tenth Graders at Wooster High School decided to team up and create a mini public library that they were able to get permission to plant in front of an elementary school.
Gonzalez-Bravo explained how the idea came to mind “What inspired me for this was I had a lot of books lying around at home that I wouldn’t really read or they we’re just collecting dust in my closet and I was thinking to myself what better way to get rid of books and recycle them than to make a mini public library.”
But making this project a reality didn't come without it's challenges.
Aguirre told us “It was honestly at first kind of difficult because the school is busy and it Is a little harder to et in touch with them, I had to go to the school and clear everything out with them tell them what we were planning on doing and I learned a lot from myself knowing that I love working with kids especially when I’m, going and trying to help them.”
But they agree working together was a good choice.
Gonzalez-Bravo says “I liked being able to communicate with my partner we both had really great ideas and we both combined our ideas together.”
Aguirre adds “Honestly yes I do feel so proud of us to be able to accomplish something that is going to help not only even kids but even adult can go over and look at different kinds of books and I do feel like that is something big especially when this is about helping the community.”
Staff say they hope these projects will promote a love for learning and that the skills they acquire through these projects will stay with them forever.
Evannson says “Sometimes we don’t see what the kids can come up with and when you actually work with them this close and let them channel that energy they come up with amazing stuff so that’s what gets me very excited.”
Gonzalez-Bravo tells us “I learned that if I can stay motivated I could do whatever I wanted to do.”
While Evannson adds “I’m very proud of our school and that our kids can put something like this together.”
