Project-Based Learning

After ten years of supporting maker education, the Executive Director of Maker Ed reflects on program closures, hard lessons, and the enduring spirit of the movement.

Some schools are building in 'brain breaks,' shortening lessons, adding more hands-on learning, and practicing meditation to rebuild students' focus.

Danish Kurani makes the case for school environments that prioritize student wellbeing and growth — and what better-designed learning spaces actually look like.

Jennifer Yoo-Brannon reflects on what it means to humanize schools after years of disruption — moving from demoralization and compliance toward trust, belonging, and authentic connection between teachers and students.

How a cross-state coalition in Kansas City is expanding real-world learning opportunities by connecting schools with employers, building market-value assets, and preparing students for careers they actually want.

Mason Pashia and Aaron Schorn argue that in an age of information overload, schools must shift from transmitting knowledge to cultivating wisdom through real-world experience and reflective practice.

British educator and creativity researcher whose 2006 TED Talk 'Do Schools Kill Creativity?' remains the most-viewed TED Talk of all time, with over 70 million views.

President and co-founder of the Families and Work Institute and author of Mind in the Making, Ellen Galinsky spent decades synthesizing child development research to identify the life skills that matter most for children's long-term success — findings that directly challenge test-score-driven education.

Edutopia visits a high school chemistry class using performance-based assessment — students design and conduct their own experiments, demonstrating how project-driven, evidence-based learning builds deeper scientific understanding than traditional tests.

Edutopia visits school-based makerspaces where students design and build their own projects — showing how maker education with 3D printers, electronics, and fabrication tools builds deep STEM understanding, problem-solving, and intrinsic motivation across grade levels.

A deep-dive conversation on the explosive growth of microschools and pandemic pods — small learning communities of 5–15 students — exploring the diverse models emerging across the country and what they reveal about what families are hungry for beyond large traditional schools.

Educator Paulette Unger's TEDx talk on how shifting from teacher-directed instruction to genuine dialogue and inquiry transforms students into self-directed learners — drawing on her classroom experience and the research behind student-led learning.

David Groth, a 40-year veteran teacher, uses juggling and classroom stories to demonstrate how play-based learning raises engagement and academic performance, arguing that play is not a break from learning but its most powerful vehicle.

The most-watched TED Talk of all time. Sir Ken Robinson argues with wit and passion that public school systems squander children's creative talents and that a radical rethink of education is urgently needed.

A comprehensive free learning platform covering math, science, history, and test prep for all ages. Widely used by homeschooling families and unschoolers as a self-paced, mastery-based supplement.

Edutopia's dedicated PBL hub features video case studies, lesson plans, design guides, and research summaries to help educators implement high-quality project-based learning across subjects and grade levels.

A vast free library of media resources — videos, interactive tools, lesson plans, and primary sources — curated by PBS for educators and homeschooling families across all subject areas and grades K–12.

A broad national alliance advocating for strong STEM education policies, funding, and programs. Publishes research and policy briefs useful for educators, parents, and school founders interested in STEM-focused education.

The world's leading organization for project-based learning, offering the Gold Standard PBL framework, professional development for teachers, research publications, and free project planning tools. The definitive resource for educators implementing rigorous, meaningful PBL.

A hands-on science curriculum and kit supplier designed for homeschoolers, offering complete chemistry, biology, physics, and electronics lab materials bundled with step-by-step curricula.