Ready, set: INNOVATE! This week marked the annual Project Innovate for 7th Grade, with students working together to find creative solutions to topics like bolstering cross-divisional engagement, enhancing spirit competitions, creating Minimester classes and more! In addition to building collaboration and teamwork skills, Project Innovate gives students real-life experience with research, critical thinking, public speaking and presenting. 

Each year for Project Innovate, 7th Graders work in small groups as they spend the week free from the regular class schedule doing research, meeting with faculty, staff and other students, preparing proposed budgets and developing new initiatives and innovative solutions to present to a panel of judges in a Shark Tank-style culmination to the project. The panel of judges is comprised of faculty and staff members who ask follow-up questions and then deliberate on which team's presentation is the most original and practical. 

Project Innovate is a key component of the immersive and dynamic Middle School Signature Projects program. In each grade, Signature Projects are in-depth investigations with an interdisciplinary approach that gives way to cross-curricular connections. These projects target specific 21st-century skills and build a stronger foundation of authentic interdisciplinary learning, nurturing a student's natural curiosity while preparing them for higher-level work in high school and beyond.