Nov. 19, 2015 -- At a kickoff assembly during one of the first weeks of school Roxboro 8th graders were posited a question that adolescents regularly wrestle with: if you could do one thing to change the world in a positive way, what would you do?

Then came the opportunity to do it. On school time.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) emphasizes intellectual challenge. Within the IB curriculum at Roxboro Middle School, Community Projects will act as an educational capstone before 8th graders enter high school. This is Roxboro’s first year rolling out the now-mandatory 8th Grade Community Projects, a 16 week-long passion-topic exploration, a self-directed foray into social change and the complexities of community.

Students began by taking a survey to identify their interests. The 8th Grade Community Project Team, teachers Christine Fenn, Dani Copeland, and Lia Radke made sure that every student was able to work on something of strong interest. Depending on the resulting topics and other kids interested, students are either working alone or with up to two other 8th graders.


“It’s a true community project, it’s not community service.”

The 8th Grade Community Projects, as the name implies, aims to serve a community: a school, neighborhood, or something more global facing. Ideally, students must address a specific need within that community.

“It’s a true community project, it’s not community service,” said Radke.

Students are learning to think broadly and critically, to plan and execute a schedule. Projects are pushing 8th graders to develop patience, not to mention stamina.

Each Wednesdays for 16 weeks, 8th graders work with their project supervisor for an hour. They review process journals and hone the 10-15 pieces of evidence to be offered at their presentations in December. After class presentations, some projects will be on display at the Scream Green event at Roxboro on December 17th.

By the end of their projects, students will have worked for 15 hours on a topic of deep interest. Some work is inevitably outside of school, but the Project Team points out that much is done within school hours, since afterschool transportation can get tricky.


“It’s not a poster; it’s a process.”

In this inaugural year, 8th grade Community Project topics have proven varied and impressive. Educating families to make healthier food choices. Promoting tolerance for different cultures within the school. Fostering self-esteem in girls preparing to enter middle school. Creating an LGBT+ Club. In a ‘because it’s 2015’ move, three young men have chosen to take on the topic of equal pay for women.

Radke points out the important soft skills the students are developing during this process. “They are learning how to conduct an interview, how to make a cold phone call, how to write a professional email.”

And, because the groups were formed based on topic, the 8th graders are grappling with a skill essential to survival in adult life: how to work together in a group with people you don’t know well. How do you handle differences in opinion or skill set? Students are building resiliency and learning how to work through conflict.

Because Roxboro did not have a pilot year, there’s been a learning curve for students and teachers both. But just recently, the students seem to have turned a corner.

“For us, there’s a lot of note taking; what’s more efficient for next time? Some of the students were overwhelmed by their topic or the process itself early on, but they are getting a hold on it now. They are excited,” says Radke.

Patience for the process is something the Projects Team encourages. Christine Fenn sums it up perfectly, noting, “It’s not a poster; it’s a process. ”

Dani Copeland is thrilled how the projects remind students that, “school isn’t just about testing. This teaches them how to be productive members of society. It really is a life experience for them.”


“The world is never going to be a perfect place, but we are trying to make it better.”

This assessment seems to resonate with students as well. Eighth grader Caroline Imka says, “In two years, this will be the best thing for kids and learning, but we are the first class to do it. So for now, it’s hard.” For her project, Imka is partnering with a friend to offer mini-concerts and musical instruction for kids battling cancer at the Cleveland Clinic.

Other students offered their impression of the 8th Grade Community Project process. Ka’yare Dickson is preparing a presentation to help Roxboro Elementary 5th grade girls learn what to expect in middle school. While nervous about the public speaking portion of her project, she is focused on gaining confidence and preparing a seamless presentation.

Elena Rinaldi is working with a group to create an LGBT+ club at Roxboro Middle School, a project Principal Patrick Nichols is excited about folding into the culture of the school after the projects end.

These topics reflect risk-taking, critical thinking and empathy, all goals of an IB education.

Of the project experience, Rinaldi says, “It’s easy and hard both. Easy, because you know exactly what you want to do, but hard to figure out how to do it. I’ve wanted to start an LGBT+ Club since last year, and now I get the chance.”

These three students appreciate the freedom and self-directed spirit of the projects. “If I’m forced, I’m not going to put my all into it,” says Dickson, who even when ‘forced’ maintains a 3.5 GPA. “I wish it could go longer, not meet just once with the girls. I’d like to see it ongoing.”

While the 8th Grade Community Projects program in just its first year, and only several weeks in, these young women grasp the goals of the projects with startling clarity. Imka points out, “The world is never going to be a perfect place, but we are trying to make it better.”