5 reasons why Project Based Learning helps our students

Disclosure: This review was made possible by iConnect Influencer Management and Future City was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine.

Being a blogger can be one of the most rewarding jobs, and last week is a prime example of why I love what I do. I was invited to attend the 25th Annual Future City Competition and share with our readers more information about the competition.

To say I was blown away by this competition is an understatement. I left fired up to start my own team of homeschoolers to compete next year! Let me tell you why I went from knowing nothing about this competition to being all in to coach my own team in just one day.

What is the Future City Competition?

Future City starts with a question—how can we make the world a better place? To answer it, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future that showcase their solution to a citywide sustainability issue.Why is Project Based Learning so great!

Why is Project Based Learning so Incredible?

1. Project Based Learning (PBL) gives students opportunities to use and interact with technology. Kids love technology and chances are they know more than their adult coaches about how to use digital tools and platforms. I was impressed to learn that many of the teams at the Future City Competition used various online tools to track progress against deadlines and to coordinate teams as large as 25 students. That is a lot of moving parts to keep organized.

2. Project Based Learning answers the age old question when are we ever going to need to know or use this knowledge in the real world. Many projects directly connect the students with their communities and ask students to solve real world problems and viable solutions that don’t just work in the classroom. Future City sets the standard high for real world and community interaction as students work to solve problems and create cities that also build community.

3. Project Based Learning improves learning, plain and simple. There is no doubt about it when you get to create with your hands, communicate your ideas in both writing, video, and live presentation, and most importantly have fun you will remember what you have learned. With so many ways to interact with what they have been taught, student are able to apply their knowledge in other situations as well.

4. Project Based Learning builds the skills needed for students to be successful in the future. Whether it is college, career, or life, students will build the skills they need through PBL including taking initiative, confidence, responsibility, time and team management, and communication.

5. Project Based Learning makes school more engaging and teaching more enjoyable. Students and teachers rediscover the joy of learning together as they work on meaningful solutions to real problems.

More about the Future City Competition:

Students present their solutions via a virtual city design (using SimCity); a 1,500-word city essay; a scale model; a project plan, and a presentation to judges at Regional Competitions in January. Regional winners represent their region at the National Finals in Washington, DC in February.

The competition is open to public, private, and homeschool students.

Registration is only $25 per team and teams are limited to a $100 budget for materials to keep the competition affordable so that more students can participate.

Through participation in the competitions students will: