Every student is unique in the way that they learn and what they learn the best. Traditional project assignments where teachers give the exact same project to every kid can limit the potential of many students. Student freedom is important to peak the interest of the kids and have them work the way that they want to. Although, it is important that teachers have guidelines to help them stay on track and complete a successful project. Therefore, summer projects should be student-designed, to a certain extent, due to different student schedules and interests.

There is a wide range of interests in my school and others all over the world, which is what makes individual learning so unique. It is crucial for teachers and administrators to try to appeal to the different student interests as much as possible, especially when assigning summer projects. The summer is a great time for exploration of these varying interests. In order to maximize the potential of these assignments, students should have a choice over how, when, and where to do them. Kids tend to work harder and attempt to learn more in what they are interested in because they have more of a reason to do so. I, personally, have done my fair share of assignments that have felt like a waste of my time, because of my lack of personal connection or interest. By having the students choose, it can be specifically designed to help them thrive in a particular area. There is a small flaw in having the projects being completely student-designed: lack of motivation. Although this plagues kids all over the world, this could be avoided with limited teacher intervention just to the extent of helping the kids complete a well done project on time. Another benefit of a student rather than teacher-designed summer assignment is that it can also help the teachers learn. A pupil could bring a new topic or idea to light, and the teacher could use it for the next years. Also, if many students do a similar summer project, it may be helpful during the school year for them to spend more time or focus on that particular topic. Not only could these projects help both students and teachers learn, but it may only be possible for students to complete the work if they have more control.

All throughout the year, and especially the summer, students have busy schedules that vary from kid to kid. Every person knows their schedule better than anyone else, which can be difficult when teachers are assigning work without knowing others' time constraints. The summer is full of many activities: camps, vacations, sports, etc. These planned events could possibly be a factor in the ability of a student to complete an assignment, which most likely will not be known by the teacher. When I did a virtual physical education class over the summer, we were required to send videos of our completed assignments every week. I went to Asia for a vacation for two weeks that summer, and it was very difficult for me to complete the videos when we were in another country with limits to what I could do. Also, the important life skill of time management could be grown through these projects. Students eventually need to learn how to deal with their own schedule, without much help or intervention from a teacher, which can only be done through individual practice. Another factor in completing a project is the availability of resources. One of the main reasons that school projects are possible for all kids is because of the general equality of materials. Having access to resources in school may be the only way that some students can complete certain assignments. By having a teacher force a specific project on a student, it would be unfair to those who are less privileged than others. For example, if a class was assigned to build a model rocket, some kids may be able to buy the best parts made of metal and plastic, while some may be limited to cardboard or other scrap materials. These projects would be graded the same way even with different capacities for success.

Projects can be a constructive vehicle for students to thrive and grow academically. But, there are ways that it can be more beneficial than others. Summer assignments should be student-designed because of the freedom of schedule it gives them, as well as the possibility to explore an area of interest. The ideas that students come up with on their own time, free on constraints, can become an excellent opportunity, and could potentially be a route they would like to pursue in the future. Maybe a student led summer project could lead to the next great innovation of our time.