Summer projects. The way schools assure that students continue learning during break. During summer, students often find themselves forgetting most of the material they had learned the previous year. A way to stop this from happening is to require students to complete a summer project. Alas, it is difficult to decide if the project should be teacher-designed or student-designed. Summer projects should be student-designed since it promotes creativity, invokes passion, and encourages students to be independent.

A student-designed project promotes the students creativity. Generic_Name found himself wanting to be more creative after he finished his project. Promoting creativity in a project may spread more to a students daily life and strengthen their creativity. Since summer break is so long that the student's creativity could keep building. Generic_Name saw that he was able to solve problems quicker based on how creative he was. This can transfer over to other task the student may need to get done. Along with that it could make the summer project progress quicker than usual. Although a project does require creativity, it also needs some care.

Allowing a student to design a project the way they like it, creates passion. Generic_Name like it when he can choose what he wants to do because he can do something he cares for.

A Student that cares for a project will work on it more and one that dislikes their project. Summer break allows students to have a long amount of time to work on something they love, drastically improving the quality. Generic_Name had more pride in his work because he cared for it.

Caring for the project and finish it can create a pride in the project and in ones self. Also, with the more time someone works on a project the more pride that person can get for finishing it. The benefit of a student-designed project can be good for the short term and long term.

Projects that are student-designed encourages students to be independent. Generic_Name enjoyed his project since it gave him a taste of independence. Getting a sense of independence is good for teens since they are about to become young adults. Along with that, during summer break students can exercise that sense of independence by going out on their own. Generic_Name as so experienced with being independent that he had no problem when he moved out. Practicing independence can help with the future hardships students may face. An example of this is managing college and work. Student-designed projects can help in so many ways.

Although, many feel that students would get off track of what the project is meant to do and not know want to do without structure but, this would just promote the ability to think for their own. Promoting Creativity with student-designed project would increase the creativity of the student it would help problem solving. Passion can be created, where they care and have pride for something, through a student-designed project. A student-designed project can encourage students to be independent, building experience and practice doing so. Just letting the students decide will help them.