Sophomores at Palisade High School took center stage on January the 29th, unveiling their Middle Year Programme (MYP) projects that blend creativity, critical thinking, and real-world solutions. From unique stories to innovative designs, these projects highlight the diverse talents and perspectives of the next generation of thinkers.
With insight from the MYP Coordinator at Palisade High School, we can now fully see the meaning behind the Sophomore Projects. Matt Borgmann has been at Palisade High School for two decades. Borgmann is currently the MYP Coordinator, where he has been at that position for four years now. “Miss Kemper takes the lead in the Sophomore Projects. I help her work through problems, guiding her with bigger ideas, bigger issues, and things that come up. Before me, Mrs. Caster was in my position of MYP Coordinator for three years. During those three years she really spent the bulk of her time doing projects. Mrs. Caster created the base; the blueprint.”
Borgemann expresses the teaching improvement, student empowerment, skill development, and confidence behind the sophomore projects. “The purpose of the Sophomore projects is two-fold. The first one is that it is a teaching framework. It helps teachers to be better by providing strategies and ideas, focusing on inquiry-based learning, concepts based on data, teamwork, and collaboration. It gives teachers six pillars to stand on, rather than just teaching however they’ve figured it out or been guided by their mentor. The second fold is for students. When teachers are better, students get a better education, and it teaches them how to learn. Learning is hard if you can’t manage yourself, research, collaborate, or communicate. The project helps students develop those approaches to learning (ATL) skills. It’s not just about teaching content, but also teaching kids how to learn. The project is the capstone of that—showing that students have learned how to learn. I saw students at the expo who taught themselves how to bake, cook, or make a cutting board. The project lets them show those skills in a way that’s passionate for them. If they can do this and show that they know how to research, guide themselves, and communicate, then they can make it through the next two years of high school. It is this personal confidence of ‘I can do this. I know how to learn.’ Academically, when you have those skills, those are all skills that you can take into class to help you be a better student, and that is the idea.”
Palisade Sophomores Carter Hayward and Aidan Shiao’s sophomore project centered around creating a podcast, a concept that initially sparked when they saw other podcasts around them. Hayward explains, “It started with seeing podcasts around and trying to make it happen. That was the inspiration, but the motivation to actually do it was the sophomore project. It turned into something that Aidan and I really wanted to do.”
Before the day of the sophomore expo, the duo experienced some uncertainty of how they were going to present their project in the most effective way possible. Hayward reflects, “Beforehand it was like ‘how are we going to make this happen?’ We had a few ideas bouncing off of each other’s heads and ended up settling with the idea of doing a live episode.” The process ultimately pushed them outside their comfort zones. Hayward adds, “This project brought us out of our comfort zones. It not only helped us to do something different, but it also showed others that it is ok to be different and it is ok to do something that you are not comfortable doing. Just be you and do what you are interested in.”
Shiao notes the excitement they felt at the start, saying, “We thought that it was going to be a really cool activity.” Initially, their plan was simply to film an episode and display it, but they quickly realized they wanted to add an interactive element. “We wanted for people to see what we actually did and the cool interactive piece of it,” Shiao explains.
Both Hayward and Shiao emphasize the importance of passion in their project. Hayward advises, “Do something that really interests you. If you don’t then you won’t have fun with it. Just be yourself.” Shiao echoes this sentiment, saying, “Do something that you actually love and that you care about, as well as something that you want to get better at. If you do that then the sophomore project won’t only be fun, but it will also be something that is easy to do, having fun with it along the way.”
Through their podcast, Carter and Aidan not only learned new skills but also embraced their individuality, proving that staying true to yourself can make a project both enjoyable and rewarding.
The Sophomore Projects at Palisade High School highlight the importance of creativity, critical thinking, and self-driven learning. Students like Hayward and Shiao not only developed new skills but also gained confidence by stepping out of their comfort zones. These projects, guided by dedicated educators, emphasize the value of learning how to learn, preparing students for future success both academically and personally.
