Requirements & PP Coordinator's role
In schools where the MYP program culminates with year 5, all students must complete the personal project, primarily during their final MYP year, dedicating a minimum of 25 hours to it.
Schools are required to register all MYP year 5 students for external moderation of the personal project. Schools may also choose to offer students the option to engage in both the community project and the personal project.
It is imperative for schools to guarantee that:
- The project remains distinct from the curriculum of any subject group, even though subjects may provide support.
- Supervisors of the project must be well-versed in the guidelines and their roles and responsibilities.
- Supervisors internally assess and standardize the project using the criteria outlined in this guide.
Furthermore, many MYP schools find it beneficial to
- communicate project requirements and objectives to parents and external community experts.
- involve the librarian or resource specialist in project organization.
- engage the school counselor or mentor in supporting students' academic and emotional needs throughout the project
- organize showcase events for students to present their projects to peers, teachers, and parents.
The role of the Personal Project Coordinator
The International Baccalaureate (IB) recommends designating one or more project coordinators within the school to oversee the implementation, organization, and management of projects.
This responsibility can be undertaken by the MYP coordinator or achieved by appointing one or more personal project coordinators. The number of coordinators chosen depends on the school's size and the volume of students engaged in the personal project.
In cases where the MYP coordinator takes on this role, additional time allocation is often required. Alternatively, schools have the flexibility to assign this role to another qualified staff member.
Supervisor allocation
To ensure that students receive adequate supervision, schools have the option to engage all teaching and professional staff in overseeing personal projects. However, it is important for schools to consider the additional responsibilities that these staff members may have, such as supervising the DP extended essay or the CP reflective project, to prevent excessive workloads.
Schools employ various approaches to assign supervisors to students, including:
- Allowing students to approach a supervisor of their choice.
- Enabling supervisors to select projects from a list proposed by students.
- Assigning supervisors to students either randomly or based on specific scheduling requirements.
The duties of the personal project coordinator(s) toward students and supervisors are as follows:
Responsibilities to students Responsibilities to supervisors
• Convey the schedule for completing the personal project.
• Convey expectations and offer clarifications when necessary.
• Aid in the submission of the report, bibliography, and academic integrity form.
• Appoint or help facilitate the selection of a supervisor.
• Define the supervisor's role in supporting the personal project.
• Provide access to relevant guidance found in the personal project guide and the Teacher Support Material (TSM).
• Facilitate the standardization and assessment process.
• Share or provide results of subject report and internal assessment feedback report for samples submitted for moderation.