Virtus Academy is committed to a Project-Based Learning (PBL) teaching style and education framework in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. PBL inspires a love of learning, ensures a personal connection to the academic experience, and helps students develop a sense of purpose.
Driving questions are at the core of PBL; for example, How can we create a financial plan for a family? What is the most equitable way to elect a new member of the government? How can we affect hunger in our community? How can we use data to reduce our family’s environmental impact?
Essential Project Design Elements
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- Challenging Problem or Question
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- Public Product
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- Critique & Revision
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- Reflection
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- Student Voice & Choice
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- Authenticity
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- Sustained Inquiry
PBL provides real-world relevance to learning and leads to more excellent retention of content knowledge. The educational framework connects students with adults, businesses, and organizations in our community and exposes them to career interests. They learn how to take initiative, work responsibly, solve problems, collaborate in teams, and communicate ideas.
Research confirms that PBL helps students improve academic achievement and prepares them for success in today’s rapidly changing world by developing a broader set of knowledge and skills.
For more information about our Project-Based Learning curriculum, contact Shonte Grady.
