10 PS Highlights This School Year
Curriculum
We’re at the halfway mark! PS facilitators have been working hard to inspire MPS middle and high school students with our PS curriculum. This year, students have engaged in 1,371 Project Success workshops, encouraging our students to create their short-term and long-term goals and giving them the know-how to nurture the skills needed to achieve them!
Arts
1,291 students, families, and partner teachers have attended our PS Theater Field Trips, Evening and Weekend Performances, and Partner Residencies. To learn more about our theater opportunities from this school year so far, click here. 1,015 students attended 5 theater field trips, and 200 students attended 3 PS Theater Residency Programs: AIM by Kyle Abraham; Cedar Cultural Center, Heart of Afghanistan; Vietgone
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
This Fall, PS brought all of North High School’s 10th Grade students to view Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in theaters and participated in a PS theater pre- and post-workshop centered on the film’s themes of grief, intersectionality, and conflict resolution. This experience was created in direct response to a teacher’s request!
Sanford Middle School Descendants Musical
88 Sanford Middle School students participated onstage and behind the scenes in the PS Musical Descendants! A student at Sanford asked PS to bring this production to their school, making this program even more unforgettable!
Here is what some of the cast had to say about their experience:
“Project Success has changed my life forever.”
“It was very fun. I made a bunch of new friends.”
“I love Project Success musicals and being in them! Thank you for everything!”
“It was the highlight of my year, and I met so many amazing people and had so much fun.”
Expeditions
Apostle Islands, Accessible Camping Experiences for Our Young Explorers
This July, for the first time in Project Success history, we took eight MPS middle school students to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin. Partnering with Wilderness Inquiry, PS focused on providing accessible outdoor adventure opportunities for our PS students who needed additional support to engage in such experiences. From hiking trails to kayaking through sea caves and over shipwrecks in Lake Superior, students had a chance to experience the outdoors in a new and exciting way. To learn more, click here.
High Schoolers Challenge Themselves in the Beartooth Mountains
In another first for Project Success, in July, nine PS high school students had the opportunity to explore the outdoors while backpacking in Montana and Wyoming’s Beartooth Mountain Range. This expedition was a great opportunity for our young explorers to build upon existing skills and interests regarding nature and teamwork. To learn more, click here.
Over 350 Sixth Grade Students Discover Nature Stewardship and Connection
More than 350 sixth-grade middle school students began their Fall Outdoor Adventure (OA) experience with us this school year during our two fall programs: PS & Friends Boundary Waters (BWCA) Adventure Day, in partnership with Friends of the Boundary Waters and Minneapolis Parks, and River Adventure Day, in partnership with Wilderness Inquiry. Students got to build connections within the beautiful bounds of nature. To learn more, click here.
One teacher had this to say about their experience during this programming: “This was a true introduction to our inner-city youth of what the outdoors has to offer, from a perspective different than their own. This may/will spark that desire to learn more on how to enjoy nature and all its glory.”
Project Success Students Explore Their Post-Secondary Options With PS College Tours!
Nearly 150 High Schoolers from our partner schools excitedly traveled throughout the Twin Cities and even out of state to Wisconsin to attend free PS college tours and explore their post-secondary options during MEA. During each of the eight college tours, students explored college campuses and dorm rooms, talked with admission persons and current students, and participated in Project Success college workshops covering topics from financial aid to college applications. To learn more, click here.
Build a Canoe at the Zoo 2022
10 MPS middle school students built a kayak from scratch at the Minnesota Zoo, hiked the Lebanon Hills Regional Park trails, and paddled the lakes – exploring the birdlife, wildlife, and insects that inhabit the area. Students also explored the Minnesota Zoo with a naturalist zoo instructor, received a lesson on dragonflies and damselflies, and learned how to build enrichment environments to ensure snakes have spaces to keep their brains and bodies active.
Certificates
A total of 70 students have received PS Institute certificates in Bike Tech, Coding, Cooking, and Money Management so far this year. Some students received multiple certificates, participating in our multi-week program for several of our courses simultaneously. At Project Success, we’re energized for this upcoming semester with our students and are excited for our new partnership with Girls With Impact, creating a new course for entrepreneurship-minded female-identifying students. To learn more about upcoming PS Institute courses, click here.
