The tapping of ballet shoes, hum of sewing machines, and strum of the ukulele can be heard from room 1119 as students in the Freshman Seminar class at AHS busily work on their Learning Projects. The bored expressions that typically lie on the faces of students are nowhere to be found, and people are gaining valuable skills not usually learned through typical classes like science or math.

For the past 2 weeks, students in the Freshman Seminar class at AHS have been using the 60-minute period to explore their interests, such as Minecraft, painting, drawing, Driver’s Ed, 3D printing, self-defense, and even making a mixtape. The assignment, called the Learning Project, gives students eight hours to delve into topics of their choice. It will continue throughout the week of December 20 and will end in a two-minute presentation in front of peers in the class. The project is intended to give students a chance to learn skills that can help them beyond high school.

Karen Zohar has been at AHS for 28 years and currently teaches the Freshman Seminar class along with Diane Godfrey.

“For Diane and I, it was important for us to have a component of the class that was student-directed,” Zohar said. “It gave students a choice in what they were learning.”

Along with engaging students, Zohar also feels that the project can teach students life skills.
“When people have jobs, they have to be creative problem solvers and this task, in a sense, was problem-solving\; the students had to figure out how they were going to achieve their goal,” Zohar said. “You have to be disciplined in a work environment, and [in this project] you had to be disciplined enough to work on the same task for eight hours over two weeks,”

The project is also enjoyable for students. One student in the class is working on drawing and plans to continue with their project even after the final presentations.
“I really liked this project\; I got to do a new hobby that I hadn’t done before,” the student said. “It’s really fun, and I think I’m gonna keep working on it at home. It was also fun because [it was something] I enjoyed in the school day and I could kind of relax I guess,”

Other students were also able to de-stress while doing the project, and there is evidence that the hobbies students are exploring can have long term benefits on mental health and mood. According to a study done by BMC Public Health, adults who spent 2 or more hours per week doing a creative hobby such as art or music reported significantly better mental health than those who did not engage in a hobby. By spending around 4 hours on the Learning Project each week, students in the class have the ability to discover a hobby that can benefit their mental well-being. Students may also choose to continue with their topic after the project which can help with depression and long-term mental health.

This project allowed students to be less stressed out and taught them skills like goal-setting and perseverance. The teachers also enjoyed seeing students as they progress.

“I love the intensity and the commitment with which some students are engaging in the activity throughout, and then I also love seeing final products that students are very very proud of,” Zohar said.

This project not only prepares students for the real world, but it can also improve student’s mental health and mood. According to a study done by BMC Public Health, adults who spent 2 or more hours per week doing a creative hobby such as art or music reported significantly better mental health than those who did not engage in a hobby. By spending around 4 hours on the Learning Project each week, students in the class have the ability to discover a hobby that can benefit their mental well-being. Students may also choose to continue with their topic after the project which can help with depression and long-term mental health.

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In an effort to learn new skills that can be used later in life, students at AHS are currently working on personal projects such as sewing, 3D printing, and ukulele in Karen Zohar’s freshman seminar class

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AHS is taking on the role of working on personal projects in hopes that students find a passion. Karen Zohar, the teacher of the Freshman seminar class has incorporated sewing, 3D printing and even playing the ukulele.

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On an average day, students may feel that the skills they are learning in their classes can’t be used in future life beyond high school. Students may even feel bored But in one AHS class students are not learning typical Karen Zohar, teaches a freshman seminar class at AHS and she is incorporating personal projects, where students learn about things that they’re interested in for example\; 3D printing, sewing and ukulele.

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Exciting new projects are being created at AHS that are definitely a little different than the typical curriculum. Students in Karen Zohar’s Freshman seminar class, have the chance to learn about things such as sewing, 3D printing, and ukulele for the creation of their personal projects. This project gives students an opportunity to gain skills that they can use throughout their life.

Angle-what people are doing for the project, informing people on why the project is important/good
Topics
Sewing
Ukulele
Drawing
ww2 history
Minecraft
Flappy bird
Mixtape
3D printing
Driver’s ed
Self defense

Questions for karen
What are some skills you think this project could teach students?
Why did you choose to assign this project
How does this project relate to real life skills
How do you think it could benefit students
What are some reasons you think the project is important
As a teacher what do you like most about seeing the projects as they progress
Have you ever assigned this in the past and if so are there any projects that stand out to you

Questions for people
Why did you pick your project
What is a challenge you had with your project