When answers to everyday questions are available within seconds at the touch of a button, educators are left questioning: How do we prepare students for an unknown and ever-changing future? Rather than teaching students what to think, schools that implement project-based learning (PBL) guide students in how to think–analytically, critically, and ethically–as part of the intentional development of 21st century skills. Project-based learning not only encourages students to stretch their thinking, but it also provides opportunities to practice other 21st century skills such as collaboration, complex communication, creativity, intercultural understanding, self-directed learning, student agency, and social emotional learning (Center for Assessment).
According to Worcester Polytechnic Institute, “Project-based learning is a type of active learning in which students gain knowledge, skills, and confidence by developing practical and meaningful solutions to real-world problems. In PBL, instructors guide rather than direct students.” In their research, Zhang and Ma (2023) discovered that “compared with the traditional teaching model, project-based learning significantly improved students’ learning outcomes and positively contributed to academic achievement, affective attitudes, and thinking skills.”
Charleston Collegiate School (Johns Island, SC), which serves 408 students in grades PS3-12, adopted PBL as an extension of the school’s long-standing commitment to student-centered education. CCS Head of Academics Liz Boyd shares how the school adopted a PBL model and the resulting positive outcomes for students.
PBL as a Student-Centered Model
As early as 2004, Charleston Collegiate School was engaging with the Coalition of Essential Schools, inspired by Ted Sizer’s vision of teachers as coaches and classrooms rooted in relationships and community. This aligned with CCS’s belief that a school should develop well-rounded young people who care about others, not just students who can earn high test scores.
Over time, CCS recognized the need for a clearer framework and stronger resources to support teachers in delivering this type of learning, with PBL emerging as a right-fit model. In 2015, the release of the documentary Most Likely to Succeed and the growing national conversation about deeper learning provided both inspiration and practical tools. CCS saw in PBL a language and a structure that gave shape to what the school had always valued: authentic work, student voice, teamwork, and the development of skills for life.
For the past decade, PBL has been implemented across all divisions of CCS. In lower school, PBL nurtures curiosity and collaboration. In middle school, it builds confidence and problem-solving abilities. In upper school, PBL challenges students to connect their learning to the real world and to lead their own learning journeys.
“PBL is something we grew into,” shares Boyd. “It has allowed us to stay true to our roots while giving teachers and students the structure, language, and support to thrive in a student-centered model.”
Launching and Scaling a PBL Program
In 2018, CCS launched its first schoolwide model of PBL in several lower grades and in grades 6-10 across all subjects. School leadership and faculty quickly bought into the model and learned from PBL peer schools such as High Tech High, yet parents and students needed more time to adjust. Student-centered learning felt natural in courses like senior seminar, world languages, and the arts. Parents were less comfortable seeing PBL in English, history, math, and science courses, with many questioning, “If the traditional teacher-led approach worked for us, why change it for our children?” CCS came to understand that alongside shifting its classroom practices, the school had to bring families on board as partners, helping them understand why learning should evolve as the world itself changes.
Boyd shares, “Parents needed a steady understanding of why student-centered learning mattered, and students needed time to build resilience, teamwork, and problem-solving skills before fully stepping into PBL. Moving too quickly led to challenges, but it also clarified the importance of preparing our community.”
The 2018 rollout was a valuable reminder: success with PBL requires not only teacher preparation, but also community understanding and support. Today, that lesson has shaped the CCS approach. PBL is now one of CCS’s four educational pillars, reflected in the school’s mission to empower students through collaboration, innovation, and individuality. It is now successfully implemented across all grades and subjects, with families and students deeply engaged in the “why” and the “how” of student-centered learning.
Rigorous and Lasting Learning
At Charleston Collegiate School, all PBL units are designed with standards at the core. Teachers begin by identifying the required standards and learning objectives, then build out the essential question, product, community partnerships, and exhibition of learning to ensure projects are both rigorous and relevant.
CCS took time as a faculty to define what rigor means for the school: rigor isn’t about heavy workloads or inflexibility; it’s about engaged learning. Boyd describes it through the 3 C’s of Rigor at CCS: students are curious, pursuing questions that spark genuine interest; they are challenged, stretching their thinking with the right balance of support; and they are connected, working in a community where every learner feels valued. In this model, rigorous learning means students are deeply engaged as they build understanding and apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
The school still uses quizzes and tests–mainly as formative tools for teachers to adjust instruction and for students to check their understanding. However, summative assessments in PBL are most often performance-based: from exhibitions that showcase the process of learning to presentations that highlight final findings. Reflection, both during and after projects, plays a central role, and digital portfolios allow students to document and revisit their growth over time.
Unlike a final exam that’s quickly discarded, high-quality, standards-based PBL creates lasting learning. By engaging with meaningful issues, reflecting on and defending their work, and making personal connections, students retain knowledge and skills far beyond the moment of assessment. Indeed, it’s the students themselves who best demonstrate PBL’s effectiveness. On tours and panels, students consistently point to projects as the clearest illustration of what and how they learn. At a recent “move up” event, upper school students were asked how they expect PBL will prepare them for college and beyond. Each responded by recalling specific projects–some from years earlier–and could still explain the academic content and skills they developed in impressive detail.
Student Outcomes With Project-Based Learning
To guide faculty with PBL implementation, CCS discovered that a distributive leadership model is most effective. PBL coaches–a stipend-supported leadership position–meet with teams twice a month to provide ongoing support, focusing on cross-curricular connections and project feedback in a “Critical Friends-style” format. In addition, Boyd, as head of academics, meets regularly with grade-level teams to further support project planning and implementation.
The result? Students are thriving, showing exceptional strengths in public speaking, teamwork, and collaboration. Nationally normed tests confirm strong content mastery as well, charting high school-wide achievement in reading and math. From an early age, CCS students become experts at collaboration (working effectively in teams and owning their role), contribution (driving projects toward shared goals), and communication (writing, presenting, and defending well-reasoned ideas). Young alumni further affirm this impact: in college, they are often the ones organizing study groups, problem-solving in teams, and leading their peers.
“Wonder is welcome at CCS,” Boyd says. “PBL inspires curiosity, challenges students academically in a personalized and supportive way, and keeps connections and relationships at the center.”
Sources:
Ideas Into Action
Charleston Collegiate School has successfully implemented project-based learning across all grades and subjects. Head of Academics Liz Boyd shares ideas for introducing PBL to parents, as well as provides sample PBL projects for lower and upper school.
Related Programming
The 2025 SAIS Annual Conference, October 19-21, 2025, in Atlanta, GA, features four impactful learning journeys, including a track devoted to Teaching & Learning. Continue exploring more with sessions such as “Building Schools for Tomorrow: Navigating Emerging Educational Trends,” “Curriculum Reimagined: Moving Beyond Incremental Change,” and more.
Join us February 1-11, 2026, in Chattanooga, TN, for the TransformEd: Teaching & Learning Conference, where you can learn more about project-based learning and student agency through sessions such as “Transforming Education: Implementing a Successful Experiential Classroom Model,” “Learning With Purpose: Empowering Student Agency for Real-World Impact,” “Project-Based Learning: How to Ignite Curiosity, Deepen Engagement, and Create Real-World Learning Experiences,” and more.
