Many schools require children to do a summer project so they can continue to learn and grow during their break. There is now a debate on whether teachers or students should decide what the summer project should be about, and there are compelling arguments on both sides. If the teacher chooses the project, they can ensure that the student will be learning information that is relevant to their schooling and will benefit them in the years to come. If the student chooses the project, they can pick something that interests them so they will be driven to complete the project and learn more about a field of their choosing. Schools should allow students to design their summer projects, as it will allow them to choose a project that interests them and they are passionate about so they are motivated to learn and complete the project.

When students are assigned a project of their choosing, they will be more likely to complete it, as they will be glad that they had options. When presented with a variety of options, students will choose one that they are interested in, as they will not want to spend their summer working with a topic that bores them. Students that are given a project that they are not interested in will not be motivated to finish it, as they find no joy in researching and completing it. They will simply want to finish the project and get it over with, so they will put minimal effort into it. On the other hand, a student that is interested in their project will have a desire to finish it, and they will want to put more effort in so they can learn more about the topic.

Additionally, students who put more effort into their projects will receive a higher grade, as they will ensure that their final product is polished and ready to be turned into their teacher at the end of summer. Teachers obviously want their students to get a better grade in their class, so it is in their best interest to let students choose their own summer projects. Along with receiving a better grade, students who pick their own summer projects will pick a subject or topic that they have experience with so they can learn more about a field that interests them. When going to college, students will be asked to pick a major, or one field that they will study and likely get a job in, and allowing students to pick their own projects will allow them to branch out and find something that they can continue working with throughout college and their careers.

Although it is beneficial for students to choose their own projects, allowing a teacher to pick student's projects for them would give the teacher control over what the students learned, which would give them the opportunity to pick projects that would supplement students learning in future years. By choosing student's projects, they can ensure that nobody does anything off topic or irrelevant to the curriculum, and could also prevent a student from picking a project that is simple and fast. However, teachers could also force students into a topic that they are uncomfortable or disinterested in, which could result in them not completing the project fully and not putting enough effort in. This issue could be solved by letting students pick their own projects, so they can pick something that they will complete and enjoy doing, but also by letting teachers review and sign off on student's projects before they begin, so they can ensure that every student is doing a project that is educating and slightly challenging.

By allowing students to choose their own projects, schools can ensure that students are engaged and interested in the topics they pick and will produce a good final product. Students can explore their interests and determine what they want to do for the rest of their life, and allowing them to choose their own projects is a good way to accomplish this.