"Passion Projects" have been a part of Marce Herz Middle School since they opened, for four years running.
The whole idea of these projects is for students to find something that they're interested in and passionate about.
The Principal at the middle school says while the students are exploring their passions it makes the learning more authentic by diving into a topic they're genuinely interested in.
He says the standard ways of learning aren't as effective as they used to be, so finding new ways to teach kids for future education is the underlying goal during these "Passion Projects."
Kids work on them all year long.
“The world is changing, and learning is changing for students," said Brandon Bringhurst, the Principal at Marce Herz Middle School. "So much information is available to students and increasingly AI is changing what students, and all of us, can do and need to know with what that technology can generate.”
“So more what we want students to do is understand the learning process and the process of completing a task, working through some challenges, having an idea and seeing that idea through to completion through all the challenges that come along the way with that,” Bringhurst adds.
Chris Reynolds, an 8th Grader at Marce Herz Middle School created the rocketry project, because one of his own passions is building rockets, which he hopes to make a career for himself in the future at NASA or SpaceX.
Reynolds tells us “It helped me learn more about rockets, what they are and how they work, so learning more about this has advanced my knowledge.”
Reynolds says these "Passion Projects" are a great way for kids to learn more about themselves.
"They help them advance into more than just a person, and more of someone who helps society grow and become something better, so I realized how much I do love rockets when I did this 'Passion Project,'” he said.
He also mentions how this "Passion Project" helped grow his passion for this specific topic and he thinks other kids would feel the same way.
“These rockets are really important, they’re not just things that go WHOOSH into the air, they’re a lot more than that... they’re technological marvels, they’re some of the most complicated machinery in the world.” explains Reynolds.
Reynolds says he's very excited to share his passion for rocket science to hopefully make other people feel the same way about this technology.
Bringhurst tells us these "Passion Projects" are going to give them the skills they need in an ever-changing workforce.
“So whatever we’re preparing them for these skills of taking something their interested in, working through the challenges, finding solutions to problems those skills will find them well no matter what profession they choose.” emphasizes Bringhurst.
The Principal says he hopes this new learning style will be a good way for students to better learn into the future, as education faces unknowns as learning styles change.
