Summer is a great way to take a break from school, but also to apply knowledge to the real world. In some areas, students are required to complete summer projects to ensure they continue to learn over their break. These projects are usually designed by the teachers, who want their students to be as prepared as possible for what they will learn in the fall. However, some argue that summer projects should be designed by students, as they can create engaging ways to educate themselves. This can better prepare students for the ways they will apply what they learned in school in the real world. Summer projects should be designed by students because they can create projects they want to complete, they can incorporate their real-world knowledge and experience, and they can design a project they know will be possible for them to complete.

Despite the benefits of student-designed projects, those who favor ones designed by teachers point to the fact that teachers can base projects off the curriculum students will have to learn during the school year and thus help students feel more prepared. However, students who design these summer projects can easily be given a description of the required curriculum to guide them while they design their projects. This will allow them to find ways they can incorporate the material into an achievable project. Additionally, teachers who are focused solely on the curriculum may end up assigning a project that students do not understand due to a lack of prior knowledge needed to complete the project. Students can pick a part of the curriculum they may already have some background knowledge about to create a project that will help them take an in-depth look at something they will be learning more about. Thus, it is possible for students to create a project that addresses important parts of the material they will learn.

Students who are able to design their own projects can create projects they are interested in completing, leading to a more engaging learning experience. When asked to complete a project they are interested in, students are more likely to complete the assignment and be enthusiastic about what they learn in the process. This elevated engagement presents itself in increased academic achievement, including higher scores on standardized tests, and better retention of material, instead of forgetting it as they continue on their academic path. This level of engagement and the associated benefits is lacking in teacher-designed projects because they do not cater to the interests of the students. These projects miss out on the benefits found in student-designed projects. Thus, while teacher-designed projects may share short-term benefits such as better understanding of the material, they do not maintain the long-term retention necessary for later successes such as boosted standardized test scores. When students design the projects, they are able to create a more engaging experience that leads to better learning.

Students are able to incorporate their knowledge and experience into projects they design, whereas teachers might assign one that they are unfamiliar with. Teachers do not know the experiences of the students they are designing projects for, so they may create one that students struggle applying their real-world knowledge to or one that only focuses on the curriculum instead of ways the learning material can be applied to life outside of school. Students can find creative ways to link what they learn in school to its applications in the real world. This better prepares students for their future lives and careers, where they will be applying what they learned in school instead of being continually tested on it. These students are more prepared for what they will be doing after they finish their education because of this prior experience in applying their knowledge and experience. This also reminds students that there is a world outside of school, creating worldly citizens who are able to apply what they learned to solving problems.

Students can be assured that they will have a project that they can complete when they design their own project, instead of one that may be too challenging or that they might not have the resources to complete. Teachers who are unfamiliar with the students and their circumstances may overestimate the students and create a project that is too difficult for students to complete on their own. They might also design a project that students do not have the ability to complete-if a teacher were to assign an essay on what a student learned by traveling, a low-income student may not be able to do it if their family cannot afford to travel. Students are more familiar with their own abilities and resources and can create a project that will provide a good challenge while not being too confusing or difficult. Reaching out for assistance would also be easier, as confused students could reach out to their peers instead of a teacher they do not know. Teachers are prone to creating a project that may be difficult or impossible to students they are unfamiliar with, but students are able to design ones based on their own abilities and resources.

Students should design summer learning projects because they can create more interesting ways to learn, they can design ways to incorporate their real-world experiences to the academic curriculum, and they can make a project that will not be too difficult for them to complete over summer break. Students can design more engaging projects based on their interests that will ultimately increase benefits such as higher standardized tests scores and retention of material. Their ability to design projects that incorporate the curriculum into the real world will better prepare them for life and work after they complete their education. In school districts where summer projects are used, parents should advocate for student-designed projects to better their children's education.