The purpose of this web site is to provide readers with resources to enable them to carry out projects wherever they may work with children.

The site is intended to make available some accounts of successful projects undertaken by teachers working with children of different ages and cultures in different parts of the world.

The site also offers more formal means of study of the Project Approach through accompanying online courses for teachers.

Finally the site serves as a starting point for discussions on the Project Approach by providing links or access to a variety of listservs (mailing lists), web-based conferences and similar organizations.

Definitions:

A project is defined here as an in-depth investigation of a real world topic that is worthy of children's attention and effort. The study may be carried out by a class or by small groups of children. Projects can be undertaken with children of any age. They do not usually constitute the whole educational program. Younger children will play and explore as well as engage in projects. Older children's project work will complement the systematic instruction in their program.

The Project Approach refers to a set of teaching strategies which enable teachers to guide children through in-depth studies of real world topics. Projects are described as having a complex but flexible structural framework with features that characterize the teaching-learning interaction. When teachers implement the Project Approach successfully, children can be highly motivated, feel actively involved in their own learning, and produce work of a high quality.

Descriptions:

Projects enrich young children's dramatic play, construction, painting and drawing by relating these activities to life outside school. Project work offers older children opportunities to do first hand research in science and social studies and to represent their findings in a variety of ways. Children also have many occasions in the course of their project work to apply basic math and language skills and knowledge.

The description of a project can be like a good story with a beginning, a middle and an end. Teachers and children can tell the story with reference to these three phases in the life of the project. On this web site we have featured several of such stories to show the viewer what can be achieved through the Project Approach.

The current list of project examples can be accessed from the Project Examples section of this site. New project examples are submitted on a regular basis so check back often to see what is currently happening in the application of the Project Approach.