Instead, be true to yourself so you can enjoy all its benefits. When starting something new, the first step is to “master the habit of showing up,” J. Start with what you can do now and scale it later.

Make Short Films

Back in those days, we called them Type III enrichment activities (Renzulli Enrichment Model) or Independent Studies. But thankfully, things changed as general education has embraced the concepts of thinking skills, creative production, and talent development. Today we see these activities implemented in all types of classrooms through Genius Hour, Passion Projects, and Maker Spaces. Whatever title you choose to give them, Passion Projects promote student-centered investigations. They are examples of personalized learning and differentiation at their finest.

The best part is that a passion project does not have to be perfect or profitable. It simply needs to be something that inspires you and gives you a sense of purpose, growth, or enjoyment. Middle school is a dynamic and often transitional time—filled with bursts of creativity, flashes of inspiration, and the early seeds of identity formation.

The hope is that you’ve considered the potential costs and weighed the personal financial feasibility factor of the project, ahead of time. In order to make sure your passion project doesn’t feel like a chore, you still have to find time to do the other activities you enjoy outside of work. So, you might need to reorganize your daily life to set aside time for all of the things that matter.

Start A Blog

Take on a Research Project and Follow Through with Something Like Writing a Biography or Historical Book. You don’t have to be an academic, published author, working historian, sociologist, or economist to take on a research project. If there is something that interests you — a person, a historic place, or even a societal event or question — tackle it. It’s a craft that keeps your hands busy but gives you the presence of mind to converse and talk with others.

• Some hobbies might require more investment to start but could still feel more compelling.
• One report revealed that 78% of millennials “believe it’s important to have a side project that could become a different career.”
• Each of these projects gives you a chance to explore your interests in a hands-on way, and admissions officers love to see that.
• Create a kindness campaign at school that includes helping school staff, bus drivers, or younger students.63.

At one time or another, most people have suffered some kind of emotional or physical hardship in their life. Your money would go to a worthy cause, and you can make a real and lasting difference to the lives of several students, leaving a legacy you can be proud of. You could leave words of encouragement in library books, on the train, or tack up at the bus stop. We are surrounded by negativity, and people will appreciate words of care and kindness placed at random places for them to find and draw cheer from. Having a caring adult who will look out for them, listen to them, and give life advice when appropriate could make a world of difference to a child’s life. Perhaps you can create a mentor group to support children in need.

Gather as much information as possible and then create a podcast, film, or book in which you explain your findings and interpret the results. Furniture isn’t the only thing that often goes out of date and out of care. Training for a marathon is a great health passion project as it encourages one to work on one’s overall endurance and to get outside exercise every week. In the end, you’ll be rewarded with that big marathon run. Raising your own food is a hard but gratifying passion project. Better understanding where one’s food comes from and what it takes to get it from farm to plate will go a long way toward making one more empathetic and ecologically conscious.

These projects both deepened and widened Caelon’s knowledge and capabilities in health science and in using computers to improve health services. The Learning Pathways Summary Table displays all the Learning Pathway activities and projects selected for the four sample students in one summary overview table. Many success principles teach you to be ruthless when it comes to picking things to pursue. You’re told to eliminate distractions, focus on one thing, invest in skills that can help you succeed in your career. Of course, you shouldn’t ditch your job because you want to enroll in a beginner’s Pilates class that takes place during your work shift. Don’t sacrifice important relationships to the extent of pursuing a passion project.

Refugee Education Platform Develop an online educational platform that provides quality education to refugee children worldwide, overcoming language and resource barriers. Renewable Energy for Remote Communities Develop affordable renewable energy solutions for off-grid communities, focusing on scalable technologies that can be implemented globally. Solar-Powered Water Purification System Design and prototype a solar-powered water purifier that can be deployed in remote villages worldwide, partnering with local NGOs for implementation.

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail can be life-altering. Check out Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild for an account of her experience hiking the PCT alone. You don’t have to be an amazing seamstress to make your own clothes. Transforming an old dress into a new creation can be as easy as a few simple alterations. ” Channel your great sense of humor into a weekly comedy show at a local bar or cafe.

We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process. Up next, you’ll find even more resources to ignite more of your own ideas for passion projects. Passion project ideas for high school students often involve community service. That’s because colleges want to see that you can think bigger than yourself, and work to give back to your community. Organize a fundraiser, a food drive, an education campaign — whatever inspires you!

Finally,  you’ll need to figure out how much money you’ll need to get things going… and sustain your business until you start turning a profit. If you don’t have the means, you’ll need to seek investors or consider a small business loan. Once you’ve done this, you can decide if you want to start out with an online business or physical location. This passion project is a reflection of you… so you don’t want it to be second rate. Even if you don’t become a world class photographer, you’ll have something to look back on later in life… and relive those experiences that helped mold you.

Landscape design is a fun and creative venture that can also leave you with a gorgeous and possibly more functional backyard once you’re done with it. See this as a project to become well-versed in landscape design. Create an online blog to share with others or make a personal journal or scrapbook. You can also do both, keep your private thoughts somewhere, and share via an online review site like Yelp. Or do you have children with whom you want to experience more of your city? Whatever the case, combine that which you already do (eating, shopping, traveling) and start reviewing.

Head to the library and find a topic that interests you. Your research might lead you to write an academic article or even a book. Landscape design could be your next creative venture. If you don’t have a spacious backyard, volunteer to spruce up a friend’s yard. Take an online landscape design or master gardener course to improve your skills.

“Passion projects” are the big talk in college admissions today. Here are some questions to ponder as you read this week’s newsletter—bonus points for sharing your answers in your social media community. You can also comment at the bottom of the online version of this newsletter. Depending on the subject matter, getting certified to teach is a passion project that doesn’t have to be terribly time consuming or require going back to school. Documentary filmmaking can be an extremely rewarding experience… and is also a passion project that can be done in your spare time, like after work or on weekends.

This section includes ideas for students who want to build, code, and invent using the power of tech. The awesome thing about your passion project is that you’ll gain in-depth knowledge or experience of a particular skill or task. The project might remain as an outlet and a just-for-fun activity, but it could also change your perspective and open up more doors for you. An unexpected (or expected) by-product of your passion project may be spending money.

Create a family is SameAgeDates safe recipe book by collecting and documenting traditional recipes from relatives.133. Host a bake sale to raise money for a cause or charity you care about.134. Teach a basic cooking class for younger kids or beginners at a local library or community center.135. Start a meal prep program for busy students or families, with easy and healthy recipe kits.136.

With a passion project, you can generally begin with a passion project planning sheet and go from there. Many activities can count as a passion project, provided you have genuine interest and can invest time in them. However, one thing that differentiates passion projects from hobbies, at least when it comes to college admissions, is a tangible result.

It is no longer very uncommon to have one on your resume, particularly at top schools. There is no required length of time for a passion project. Strong projects often develop over an extended period because sustained effort allows students to demonstrate growth, learning, initiative, and meaningful progress. One of the most common questions students ask is whether passion projects still matter. The short answer is yes, but only when they are done thoughtfully. Admissions officers are not looking for flashy or performative work.