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From Concept to Completion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Community Projects for Middle Year Program Students

Thomas, a Grade 6 student, has started a composting system at BIS.

By: Aisha Turdieva

Community projects; the ecstatic, the unknown, the relinquished wished service for other people – What is it? What should I do for it? How does it affect me? And more here, exclusive by Aisha Tudieva.

Defining

Community project is a mandatory group led service every Middle Year Programme (MYP) student has to undertake. The purpose of the project is to help your community, improve your social, management and independence skills, and learn to appreciate your community.

The structure of the whole process;

  • The project has to run for at least 14 hours for it to be counted. Meaning, a student, has to undergo a minimum of 14 hours work towards the project.
  • It all starts off with a proposal! When the project gets accepted, you should keep a process journal, where you write your overall progress and reflections.
  • There is also an academic honest form, where you are able to keep track of all of your meetings with your supervisors, and what you have discussed in each meeting.
  • Upon completion, you have a chance to present your project to whole of MYP and parents. The presentation should contain all needed information to understand the process and outcome of your project.

So, what do you need to successful complete your MYP Community Project in BIS. Lets take a deeper dive.

Disclaimer: It is important to note that, before starting, submitting or undergoing your project, it is always important to check in and show what you have planned with a certified teacher. This is guide is an aid, not the absolute answer.

Firstly; Proposal for Action

The proposal for action is a document which will be shared to you by your form class teacher. If you do not have an access, or cannot find it, always ask your form class teacher for it. Within the form, you are able to fill out and included the all the basic necessities for your project, such as the names of students who are in your group, your supervisor’s name, what goals you are hoping to achieve, and why is this project important for the community you are trying to help. Remember, the purpose of the project is to help and be part of a community, and as such, your proposal should reflect how and why this community is in need of your help.

Secondly; Action Plan

In the action plan you will be answering all the 5 W; What you will do, With who will you do it, When will you be doing it, why you are doing it and where will it happen – with an outline on how you will be undertaking your project. Keep in mind, everything you write has to be detailed, really detailed, so your supervisor right from start knows what is happening. For example, let’s look at a community project of hosting a Homework ECA at school. Within the action plan, you can outline;

  • The process of asking and getting a permission to host an ECA
  • The process of finding a supervisor who will stay at ECA time with your group.
  • The process of finding a free and usable room.
  • The process of getting all of this approved by our ECA coordinator (Nazira Almasbekova; eca@bis.kg)
  • What is the structure for the ECA?
  • How will you manage multiple students?
  • Will there be more than one tutor? How will you deal if there are students from grades above who want to join?
  • etc…

Thirdly; Meetings with your supervisor.

You should, in total, have at least 3 meetings with your supervisor in the course of your project. In teh meetings, you will be discussing any inquires, suggestions, and structure for your project. These meetings are very important in answering all of your questions, and ensuring you are taking the right actions. However, also, you have to keep in mind to fill out the Academic Honesty Form, and reflect upon your meetings in the said document.

Fourthly; Process journals.

Process journals are done individually or with your group, depending on if you are part of a team or not. You will have to write, in the process journal the strengths and struggles of the process, how the project is going, if there have been any changes in your initial goal, and what are your possible actions in the future. The journals are very important, and it is recommended that you have at least one entry per week of your projects. These journals function as an evidence of your work, and also help you to better manage your projects. It shows your progress and changes, and what the project means for your community. Furthermore, such a record keeping will make your reflections, and your final end of the year presentation, easier and smoother. Some questions you can answer in the journal;

  • What happened in this week of your project?
  • What were, if any, the changes to your projects?
  • What were the strengths in the outcome?
  • What were the struggles in undertaking the project this week?
  • How can you improve further to make the project more efficient?
  • What are some unknown obstacles you encountered ?
  • How are you dealing with any struggles? Mentally?
  • What are your plans for next week?
  • How can you better be prepared for the next week?
  • Was there, if any, changes to your overall goal and hopes for this project.

In conclusion, the community project is an important, and fun, endeavor which helps us gain experience with helping your community, and help the people in need. Of course the needs vary depending on teh community, but any level of help is good to better the place we reside in. Community projects teach ys the experience of volunteering – the experience of helping ones in need.