MYP - IB Personal Project Ideas (lots of ideas)
If you are an MYP student who’s struggling to find an idea for the IB Personal Project, here’s a list of some projects that were done this year and in years past:
- Writing a book
- Writing a poem
- Writing a script
- Writing a song
- Developing a marketing campaign to address a Teen Issue, like teen pregnancy
- Training a pet
- Composing a song
- Building something - like a guitar, furniture, etc.
- Developing a plan for a solar powered car
- Learning how to play an instrument
- Learning to play a sport
- Using physics to perfect a sport (a pool shot, a hockey shot, a free-throw, etc.)
- Developing a new strategy for chess, poker or another game
- Starting a business
- Developing a recipe
- Designing and making jewlery
- Producing and directing a movie
- Producing and directing a music video
- Producing and directing an exercise video
- Demonstrating how to do something
- Doing a research/lab report for an original scientific idea
- Drawing a mural
- Throwing pottery
- Going on an archeological dig
- Researching your genealogy
- Debating
- Building a proposal/plan
- Forming a club
- Raising money for charity
- Inventing something
- Developing a speech
- Conducting an experiment
- Performing (dance, music, comedy)
- Providing a photo essay
- Building a model
- Developing your own video game
- Creating an e-commerce website
- Creating a blog
- Creating software programs
- Developing a business plan
- Designing clothes
- Remodeling using eco-friendly material
- Launching a Recycling Program
- Learning a foreign language
The possibilities for creating your personal project are endless. Make sure you pick something that you like and something you think you’ll have fun doing. You’ll be spending your summer and 4-6 months of the school year working on this project. Make sure it’s something that you can be passionate about.
hey Chloe, its Kristine, from Shadow Ridge jazz band, I played the piano, remember? lol
so anyway, those are some great ideas for personal project but I think I know what I am going to do. I dance a lot and I really love it, so I was thinking I could choreograph my own dance. It would be similar to writing a song or poem, but I was also thinking that I could teach my mom to dance along with it. I was just wondering if you thought that sounded good. I was thinking just choreographing the dance wouldn’t be enough but I don’t want it to be too much to do both parts.
Thanks! =D
-Kristine
Hey Kristine!
Choreographing a dance is a great idea. My friend did something similar this year. You just have to remember that you need to connect it to an AOI. My friend choreographed an Indian Danced based on her culture. She did a bunch of research on it and preformed the dance for her presentation. Teaching to your mother would also be a great touch. The key to doing something performance related is doing research, connecting it to an AOI, and preforming it in an interesting way. COntact me if you have any more questions.
~Chloe~
Hey Chloe, I’m Alec Speers, and funnily enough, I was also in the Shadow Ridge Jazz Band (Trumpet) well, I was thinking of sorta putting 2 of these ideas together into one, I just started playing the guitar a few weeks ago, and it seems to be going great so far, and i was thinking of writing a song for my project. So, is it ok that 2 of these ideas are kinda smashed into one?
Actually, putting the two together is a great idea. You can use the AOI Human Ingenuity because you used a skill that you developed to create (compose) music. Make sure that you are prepared to present your compositions when it comes time to do so. In years past people have gotten cold feet and didn’t present their written pieces and got marked down for it. Also be sure that you’ll be able to do plenty research for what ever EQ you develop. Remember that the personal project includes a bunch of “process” related stuff. Make sure that you follow a process to learn the guitar and develop songs. If you have any further questions, don’t be afraid to ask. Also if you need any help with guitar related things, please feel free to contact me because I taught myself how to play the guitar and that might be of some use for you. Also you should include interviews for your research portion of the project and that might be a great way to obtain that requirement.
Good Luck!
~Chloe~
hi im doing the IB Personal project and i looked at the ideas here and i thought maybe the designing and making jewellery sounds quite ok. i was also thinking something with photos maybe or art stuff tho im not good at drawing really. Any ideas?
Also, how could the jewellery one link to 2 different AOIs? I really need ideass,
Thanks
Hi Charlotte,
One of my friends this year designed jewelery for her personal project. How she connected it to an AOI was by designing jewelery that represents jewelery from other cultures. She connected it to the AOI human ingenuity because she looked at the different methods of making jewelery from the different cultures and compared it to how we make jewelery in the United States. You could also connect it to the AOI community and service. My friend planned on taking all of the jewelery that she made to action off, then give the money she made to an organization that she holds dear to her heart, Invisible Children. She used the skills she gained from the personal project and applied them to help serve the community.
Just make sure that when you do art related stuff that you’re able to connect it to something. Just saying that creating something is human ingenuity because I made something isn’t enough and will cause you to receive a poor mark on your project. Take a narrow concept and expand it to connect to more broad and open ended ideas.
Hope that helps
~Chloe~
Hi!
I just started my Personal Project and I am doing a book about the bases in photography. My goal is something like “To explore human ingenuity by creating a book showing with pictures the bases in photography”
Right now I’m writing the Statement of Intent, but I’m stuck on what to write about the AOI… “Why and how does AOI relate to your goal and your product?”
I’ve no idea what to write. If you have an idea or something you would help me loads, thank you!
/Maja
Hi, I am trying to pick a topic for my personal project. I was thinking about creating landscape plans for the front of my neighborhood. Should I actually landscape the neighborhood using my plans? And what AOI would I connect it too? any help is greatly appreciated. thanks!
I would recommend trying to use your plans if your neighborhood allows it. The evaluators like it when you go the extra mile. You can connect to Community/Service if you’re goal is to better your community. If you’re goal is to better the environment by adding trees and plants with your landscaping project, then go with Environment. Tell me what your main goal is and I can help a little more.
You can relate your AOI to your goal by saying something like:
1. Exploring the different bases in photography will show the AOI human ingenuity because I will look at different photography concepts and the affects these concepts have on the photograph itself.
2. Exploring the different bases in photography will show the AOI human ingenuity because I will be evaluating the different bases in photography and how the different bases affect the photo.
Sorry, I don’t know much about your topic or I would be able to help more. If this doesn’t help, I might be able to help more if you helped me to further understand the topic.
~Chloe~
Hey, I’m trying to choose a topic for my personal project as well.. and I’m thinking of doing something like ‘Silk Screen’. It’s like screening a T-shirt something like that but I’m not sure about the AOI!!! Help me ):
Thank you:D
Hi June, I am managing Chloe’s blog while she is in DC/NY for an international diplomacy program. She will be back on July 12th and will answer your question then. Thanks for stopping by - Sandi
Hi, i’m doing a personal project too. i wanted to write a play ..a modern remake of one of Shakespeare’s productions.. but does the rules say that when you write a screenplay, it has to be 100% original? ..thats my problem. also, i’m stuck on which AOI’s would be good for this project. help? thankss
Oh, and to add to the other post. my purpose behind this idea is that theater/drama is one of my biggest passions and i wanted to see how it feels to direct a play.
Hey. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about scuba diving for my personal project. I already have my certificationand I was wondering what else I could do.
Well, it really depends on the AOI that you are planning on connecting it to. Are you looking to connect it to health/social or Environment?
Well if you are writing a modern remake, then it really won’t be a copy. Plus, I don’t recall there ever being a rule about a piece of written work needing to be 100% original. I used some of Shakespeare’s ideas myself in my writing and was using that as a base to work from. It seems like you’ll be doing the same; using Shakespeare’s work as a base for a modern version of his work. Any sort of writing is easy to connect to Human Ingenuity. Just be sure NOT to say that you are connecting it to Human Ingenuity because you created something. Evaluators HATE that. If you’re still having problems, feel free to reply again. I’m happy to help.
Hi my name is Beulah.
I am trying to work on my personal project but I haven’t figured out my topic yet.
I have narrowred it down some.
1) design a wedding and reception
2) or design a quincinera
3) design the French version of a quincinera if there is one
( note: I have taken 5 years of French in myp)
I would also appreciate some help in my AOI
P.S. Which topic do you think will give me most potential in a better project and grade?
Thank you
In my personal opinion designing a quincinera will probably help with getting you a good grade, but you have to remember that it really is about the work you’re willing to put into it, not necessarily the topic you choose. Also in terms of your AOI, I would try to connect it to Community and Service and/or Approachinges to Learning.
To connect to Community and Service I would say something along the lines of:
I’m connecting my project to the AOI Community and Service because by designing a quincinera I am gaining knowledge and a greater understanding of the world around me by exploring aspects of Latino culture.
To connect to Approaches to Learning I would say something along the lines of:
I’m connecting my project to the AOI Approaches to Learning because I will use and develop skills of organization, collaboration, problem solving, and reflection by designing a quincinera.
Designing a quincinera is probably more original than designing a wedding. It will also require more research (which evaluators always like). Plus, the Personal Project is all about exploring more about what you don’t know a whole lot about. Evaluators might be skeptical about how much effort was put toward your project if you do something centered around France when you’ve taken French for so many years.
If you have more questions, don’t be afraid to ask.
~Chloe~
Hey my name is Jennifer and I was wondering if you could tell me more about the personal project itself. You see, I’m going into year 11 and I only recently learned about such a project. This whole personal project deal is new to me. I know I do not have a lot of time left to complete this project, but my hopes are to do something big. I’m sort of an over achiever which makes me wonder of what I can do in such a short time. I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks.
Hey Jennifer,
If you read some of my past blogs, you can get more of an idea about exactly what the personal project is. My past blogs have lots of info concerning what the project is all about and tips on how to do it.
In terms of doing a quick project, I don’t really think that there really is anything that you can do in a really short period of time. This project takes quite a bit of time and effort to complete.
However, if you would like to do something big, I would recommend building something or writing a book/lengthy story. With building something, you can explain all of the different components that went into building and explain the research behind the project and how it connects to and AOI (probably Human Ingenuity). With writing, evaluators are always pleased to see a novel that a student has obviously put a lot of hard work and effort into making. With that though, you must be sure to do your research. You can’t just write a random story and expect a good grade. You have to explain how your reseach effected the outcome of your novel and how creating it all happened.
Just remember that a big part of the personal project is the process that you go through to complete your goal. If you do something where you create somethign you can better explain this process and it would hopefully help you get a better grade.
Those are just my recomendations, but there have been various things that students have done in the past to get a great grade on this project.
Hope that helps.
~Chloe~
Hello. My name is Mariam and I have to do a personal project this coming year. I have no clue what to do it on…so I was thinking of maybe doing something about child abuse but I wasn’t sure if it is a good idea or not. I don’t know how to even relate that to AOL.
If I decide to do child abuse… I might create website…but can you please tell me if that is a good idea. Also how can I make this topic even more interesting?
I am thinking of an idea that is verrry interseting, that anyone would get interested in, science or medical,that not many people know about but always hear about….can anyone help?
-thanks
Hi.
i am doing the MYP personal project aswell.
I am thinking about writing a travel book/magazine about many places to go in Australia and New Zealand from my personal experience.
This would include writing about specific landmarks in the area. My main purpose to writing this is to show people that in australia and new zealand there are not only beaches, instead that there are many more amazing places in Australia.
I am currently not in australia and will not be there for quite some time.
Do the pictures in this book have to be my own or could i get them off the internet and citing them?doe this make a difference?
Do you think this is a suitable project or do u have any doubts?
Dear Chloe,
I was thinking of doing something along the lines of building something or presenting a piece of art. However, I can’t quite seem to link it to a certain AOI. On the other hand, I was also thinking of maybe designing something and I would like to get your opinion on this. Thanks.
hi,
i have to do the personal project too
& i have no idea what to do.
i like doing hair, makeup, and fashion etc.
i was thinking of doing like a before and after of girls, after ive done their hair and makeup but i dont think i would get very high marks for this.
what about a book of poetry? would i have to make up my own poems? and would i have to publish the book?
please help me.
also linked to the above comment,
how would i link these things to the AOI?
Hi,
I am doing the MYP personal project as well, and I am thinking about using Google Sketch to make a model of my school (I received this idea by researching ideas on the web). What do you think?
Hey Jordan,
I think that’s a great idea. As for the pictures, I’m sure that it doesn’t matter, but adding some of your own might be a good idea because it adds more of a personal element. I don’t doubt that this is a great idea, just make sure you connect it to your AOI well (that’s what they really look for in the presentation).
~Chloe~
Hey Jennifer,
If you’re planning on doing something with art or designing/creating anything at all, then the AOI that you’ll be able to connect to is Human Ingenuity. Depending on what you’re presenting, you may also be able to connect to other AOI’s as well. As for Human Ingenuity, make sure that you talk about the process you went through in creating/designing (aka. don’t just say that you’re connecting it to Human Ingenuity because you made something). Hope that helps.
~Chloe~
Hey Myi,
If you like doing things involving cosmetics, then go for it. The personal project is all about doing something that you find interesting. You just have to make sure that you go bigger than just creating a product. For instance the before and after is just a product. Go deeper. Maybe you could apply your love for cosmetics to the world. Maybe research about how other cultures view beauty and cosmetics and then do a before and after involving other country’s norms. That would be kinda cool. Plus then you could not only connect with Human Ingenuity (process of creating) but also Health/Social Interaction (Social interaction in terms of how cosmetics connect cultures [similarities/differences] ).
If you want to do a book of poetry, you should probably do your own poems, but you could do collections as long as you connect them to each other and do research about the significance of each. Remember poetry is a deep thing and has great meaning to the world. Be sure that you’re not just creating a product for a quick ‘n’ easy project. You wouldn’t have to publish the book, just make sure that you present it in a creative (not sloppy) way.
I would recommend doing the cosmetics just because it’s more original than poetry. People always default to writing because it’s what they know best and they’re too afraid to do a project about something that they love. Be daring, evaluators like that.
Hope that helps.
~Chloe~
Hey Ayan,
I would need more information to help you decide on a topic because the science and medical covers such a wide variety of topics. Could you narrow it down for me?
~Chloe~
Hey Dan,
I think that using google sketch to make a model would be good, but I don’t know if just making a sketch of your school would be sufficient. Maybe if your interest is being an architect, you could design buildings based on new trends (or a combination of new and old [like Rome/Greece architecture with new age architecture]). However, just using a program to recreate your school may not get you a great score.
Remember you should be able to connect what you do to the rest of the world. The evaluators aren’t going to be looking for just a product, but something that you actually spent time doing and put a lot of thought into. Research and thoughtfulness are the keys to a great project.
~Chloe~
Hi chloe,
i am doing the personal project as well & i have no idea what to do.
i was thinking of doing something related to dance,music, travelling, geneology,or a music video. But i am not sure what to do yet…… Could you please help me
thnkx
Hey, im just starting my personal project and im wanting to do something about scuba divign, i want to learn to scuba dive. I’ve just got one problem. How can i turn scuba diving into a personal project? what AOI’s will i be using?
Hey, im doing a personal project for the myp program and i was interested in doing it on either pharmacology or the effects industrial farms have on small family farms. I want to be a pharmacist when i grow up so i was thinking it would help me in multiple ways. The only problem is I don’t know what my final project would be. Can you help me out? Thanks
Hey Misty,
What (of the 5 topics you’ve brought up) interests you the most?
~Chloe~
Hey Joey,
To turn scuba diving into a good personal project, I would recommend not only learning how to scuba dive, but see what effects scuba diving has had on scientific discovery. Ask yourself these questions as you go through your planning process:
What can be learned from scuba diving?
What has scuba diving accomplished in the past?
Have there been health related discoveries through scuba diving?
How has scuba diving affected the environment?
Through answering these questions you could relate your project to environment, health and social interaction, and human ingenuity. Keep asking yourself questions about your topic, and through those questions you will find which AOI’s to connect to.
Good luck!
~Chloe~
Hey Heather,
Which of these two topics interest you the most?
~Chloe~
well either one. im interested in both of them i just dont know what i could do as a final project for either of them. I’m trying to decide which topic i could do based on my ideas for the project
Hey Chloe.
I know we’re all pretty much bombarding you with questions, but you’re giving a lot of great feedback so thanks.
I am also having a lot of problems with trying to figure out what I’m doing for my project. I live in Abu Dhabi, and am wondering what I could do relating to photography and helping people at the same time. I was originally thinking about a photography book but can’t think of an actual topic for this.
My second idea would be a travel book of Toronto (which people don’t usually think of as a tourist destinations, when in fact there’s a lot of great stuff there) but I can’t figure out which AOI that would fall under. Thanks!
mmmm dance and travelling interest me the most and i have also kinda thought of choreographying a dance to my indian culture as i am not very aware of indian culture as living in australia….
hey,
i was wondering how does DANCE come under AOI and if its possible what ideas could be generated from this. i like to dance, so i wanted it to become part of my project. thnx….
Hey Chloe.
I’ve just started my personal project. The goal of my project is to make and publish a teenage magazine. I have linked my project to Human Ingenuity, but I’m not sure how I’m going to explain why I linked my project to this AOI.
I have also discussed having advertisements in my magazine, so I can get enough money to make profecionally printed hardcopies. My personal project supervisor told me that if I was going to have adds in my magazine, I needed to explain how this was linked to Human Ingenuity. I really don’t know how I’m going to do this. Can you give me any help? Or give me any good explanations of how to link Human Ingenuity to a project?
-Helene
hello my name is jose and i am also in the myp program and i read you suggestion on presenting a photo essay and i wanted to make a project in the photography area and i wanted to know what an photo essay would be
I have to do the personal project this year. Im not sure what to do. I like to talk to people and make websites and design things but im not sure what to do. I would like to make a website but I dont know what to make it about. Do u have any ideas??
Misty,
I have two Indian friends, one of which did Indian dance, and the other did Indian children stories. They explored their own cultures and compared it to American cultures. Both of their projects were successful, so that might be the way to go. Explore Indian dance (maybe choreograph your own) and explore the differences between Indian and American culture.
Sika,
If you’re looking to do dance there are endless possibilities to what you could do. What specifically do you want to focus on?
Helene,
You are connecting your project to Human Ingenuity because
This area of interaction allows students to explore in multiple ways the processes and products of human creativity, and to consider their impact on society and the mind.
Human ingenuity allow students to focus on the evolution, process and products of human creativity and their impact on life and society. Human ingenuity provides opportunities for students to appreciate and develop in themselves the human capacity to create, transform, enjoy and improve the quality of life.
In particular, Human ingenuity:
stresses the way humans can initiate change, whether for good or bad, and examines the consequences
emphasizes both the importance of researching the developments made by people across space, time and cultures, and the importance of taking time to reflect on these developments.
In this way, Human ingenuity goes beyond the act of creation alone, leading students to examine, experience and reflect on the creative process.
The creative process was a big thing that I focused on for my project and it will probably what you’ll expand your thought on this AOI the most