During the summer, many schools require that summer projects be completed before returning to school so that students are able to keep their minds fresh and teachers don't have to introduce a new topic at the beginning of the year. Currently, many schools are choosing teacher-designed summer projects because they offer a standard between all students. However, student-designed summer projects can be just as beneficial as they offer a sense of freedom to the student while still completing work in a real world and student orientated way. Schools should allow student-designed summer projects because they enable students to have a sense of freedom, not only in picking the project but how they complete it, and students are more likely to be motivated in the school year because they influenced the material taught by the teacher.

Currently, not many schools offer student-designed summer projects because they feel as though the teacher will do a better job assigning the project and holding the students accountable, but students will feel more freedom and responsibility if they are picking what they want their summer project focused around. With student picked projects, students are still learning about the material in their next school year, yet they are having fun while completing it. For example, if the summer project was about biology, students could track a tree or follow a frog around to see its progress throughout the summer. At the beginning of the school year, students can present the project to other classmates and gain knowledge about a topic before an introduction by the teacher. Another example is a U.S. history summer project about any part of U.S. history. Most likely, students are able to find multiple to complete this project, whether it be a simple online search on a reliable website or a museum in their town where they can go and explore new information. At school, they can talk about what they learned and why it was a fun way to learn because they weren't just listening to their teacher, but instead gaining knowledge about a subject in a fun way. Overall, student-designed projects are more beneficial in the long run because students gain new knowledge about subjects that they would have found boring or unexciting in the classroom, by being able to have freedom around the subject and choose something they would like.

Schools should offer student-designed summer projects because when they are picking what they are interested in, they are more likely to be engaged in school because they influenced what the teacher's material is for the school year. When a student is able to invest in a summer project and center themselves around a topic, they are more passionate about what they are learning and causes an increased interest in what students and their classmates are learning about. For example, if a student chose to do a project on major cities around the world for their upcoming geography class, the student can choose cities that they are genuinely interested in, not ones that the teacher assigned. When teacher's assign projects to students, it makes students feel as though they don't have voice in the school environment and makes them less likely to complete the project because a teacher assigned it to them. Yet, when the student is able to pick and choose what they want to learn, it can cause a greater effect on the student because now they are able to learn and possibly share their information with their other classmates. The student feels as though they do have a say in what they are learning and this way the teacher can center their learning material around the topics that different students picked, causing them to be engaged which causes other classmates to be engaged also. Student-designed summer projects are an excellent resource that schools should utilize because when students are attracted to what they are learning, it causes an increase in the material and students are more likely to enjoy the topics they are learning about in the future.

Altogether, student-designed summer projects are more beneficial to the students and the teachers because students gain responsibility for what they choose to learn and teachers can center their subjects around what students chose, engaging students more in the classroom. While teacher-designed projects are a great way to focus in on what the main idea of the class will be, student-designed projects allow students to be motivated about what they are learning and more likely to spread their knowledge about their topic to other students. With student-designed projects, teachers are also able to evaluate students before some of the school year has passed to see if they may need more help or if they are not stimulated enough. This can ultimately lead to a better school year and students learning in elementary, middle and high school because teachers are able to determine sooner if the student needs special requirements. Overall, student-designed summer projects provide greater outcomes and learning than teacher-designed projects because they give students a choice, engagement is higher in the classroom, and teachers can evaluate students quicker, leading towards an overall greater learning experience.