As the end of a school year comes to a close, the summer is just beginning. Many during summer use it as a time to have fun and take a break from school. Some schools though require students to complete a summer project to ensure learning continues throughout the year. This can help to make sure that the student mind is awake and ready to learn when the start of the new school year begins. The basis for summer projects to assure continuous learning should be student-designed because creative projects would be produced and it would give students an opportunity to take control of their education.

During the school year, students go from class to class completing the required work to excel. In most cases, this requires sitting through a lecture followed by an activity and homework. All of which are teacher-designed. For this reason, summer projects should be student-designed. Student-designed projects would give students the opportunity to take control of their education. Students would learn the responsibility of completing a project without a teacher telling them the process they should follow. The students would have to research and create a project based on something that they are passionate about. For example, every student has their own interest such as baking, rocketry, and architecture. With student-designed summer projects, each student can complete their own individualized project based on their own interests. As to where a teacher-designed project the student has to go with what the teacher assigns. If the teacher is interested in types of frogs, students would have to complete a project based on the interest of the teacher. Student-designed summer projects would give students the opportunity to take control of their education.

When a teacher assigns a project, there are strict guidelines on how the project should be completed. To combat the harsh guidelines, a student-designed project would create more creative projects. For example, if there are 20 students in a class with one teacher and the teacher assigns a project, there will be 20 of the same project that return because of the guidelines that the teacher established when creating the project. But if every one of the 20 students got to design their own project, there will be 20 different projects that come back to be presented. This will happen because the students will feel more personally connected to their project. Students won't feel as if it is a project the teachers gave them but rather something fun to do over the summer. Having a summer project that is designed by an individual, the teacher, for a group, the students, will create a detriment to creativity.

Some may argue that if summer projects were teacher-designed, then the teachers could regulate and prepare the students better for the upcoming school year. This may be true, but considering that throughout the normal school year teachers design and assign work to students, it would be more beneficial to give students the opportunity to learn how to take charge of their own work. Continuing to have teachers dictate the types of projects students complete year round will not prepare them for the world. A student-designed project would prepare students better for the world. Once the students enter the world, there won't always be a teacher telling them how to complete the task assigned to them. Giving students the opportunity to experience independence over the summer is a perfect way to prepare them for the world. Preparing students for the world out of school is more important than preparing them for a few weeks in the future when school starts.

Schools that require students to complete a summer project should make the projects student-designed. Student-designed projects would cause for more creative projects compared to teacher-designed projects, and it would give students the opportunity to take charge of their education. Having summer projects to insure students continuous learning is a terrific way to enhance a students education. But done incorrectly, it can cause a student to dread school more. A well executed summer project would be student-designed, where the student gets to decide on their own project based on an interest of their liking. Making sure that students are positively active in their education is crucial to developing a well rounded individual.