Project-Based Learning

At CPSC, learning is focused around projects. We believe it’s the kind of instruction best suited to the way children learn, because it’s hands-on, integrated, and adapts to different developmental levels and learning styles. Children are naturally curious and will flourish in a learning community that fosters creativity, exploration and discovery.

Projects stem from the curriculum. Within a given subject area, students choose topics to explore in depth. For example, in a 3rd-grade class studying the human body, a student who enjoys dancing might wonder how muscles work, while another student might be more interested in the brain. Guided by the teacher, the students ask questions, find answers, solve problems, and build understanding. Students are encouraged to use their strengths and challenged to build confidence in other areas.

Students communicate what they learned in a variety of ways, such as clay models, posters, self-published books, dramatizations, oral reports, descriptive artwork and multimedia presentations.

In the context of their work, students learn and practice basic skills in a natural and engaging way that integrates literacy, mathematics, science, arts, social skills and higher-level thinking. Students are learning how to learn, as much as they’re learning the curriculum.