In light of the completion of the Personal Projects by the 10th graders, the Quirky Quibbler wanted to showcase a few of this year’s projects. The exhibition when students get the chance to finally show their hard work to parents,  teachers and other students was Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Personal Project Coordinator Ms. Larsson said, “There were so many amazing projects,” and it is wonderful to see the students having worked so incredibly hard to create something of value. Among these students are Emma V. and Filip K. who both created websites. The Quirky Quibbler got the opportunity to interview both students about their work! The Personal Project can be a challenging task and something that is spoken vaguely of until its time to do it. Hopefully, this will clear things up for the upcoming students who will undertake this project!

QQ: What did you do for your project? 

Emma: 

The product I created for my personal project was a website named “Swegan”. It’s about being a vegan in Sweden and includes various features regarding the topic. It educates people on the effects of animal agriculture on the environment, on the animals, and the health implications involved with eating meat. I also went to many different restaurants and stores around Stockholm which offered vegan options, and I took pictures, wrote reviews, and showed them on the map. Furthermore, I incorporated a forum where all the different users can discuss their personal experiences with veganism and share tips, recipes, etc.

Filip: 

My personal project consisted of me creating a website and paired application to improve the communication between Cooperviva (a recycling cooperative in Brazil, Rio Claro) and the Rio Claro populous.

One thing students are known for struggling with is choosing what to do. As the project span is an extended period of time, students have to stay inspired and passionate about their project for a few months. Let’s see the reasoning behind why Emma and Filip chose their topics. 

Filip:

I chose this topic after my family and I had some issues with the recycling dates and when they passed to collect the recycling. If we put out the recycling on the wrong day it would get eaten by stray dogs, destroyed by weather or picked up by the garbage collectors instead. After we tried finding a “recycling routine” on the internet; we managed to find one for Cooperviva, however it was completely outdated. That is where I got the idea to start my project, applying technology to improve this system of communication. (Also because I enjoy programming in other forms).

As for a personal interest, I find it interesting how recycling is treated around the world. Here in Sweden we use the “pant” system, meaning that the individual takes responsibility. While in Brazil it is very much “other peoples” problem (in the case of Cooperviva, its 30 people who make a living off of recycling). I also was passionate about it because it was a problem that was occurring in my hometown of Rio Claro, meaning I had personal connection in that regard (also… programming).

Emma: 

I chose this topic because it’s something I’m really passionate about, and I think that our generation can make a significant difference. By teaching people about veganism I’m hoping to spread awareness about the meat and dairy industries and about how people can have an impact on the environment by being more conscious of what they eat. I also wanted to help people in Stockholm that are interested in transferring to being vegan by showing them where to find restaurants suitable for their lifestyle, which is why I chose to create this platform.

I’m very interested in this topic because my family has been vegetarian for 8 years, and 2 years ago we decided to take the step and become vegan. I have had 2 years of experience with this lifestyle, and I learn more about it every day, which is why I decided to share my knowledge and experiences with others by creating a website to guide them through the process and inform them about the facts and research done about the topic which could potentially convince them to take the same step towards becoming vegan.

QQ: What were some challenges that arose?

Emma: 

The main challenge I faced was my original plan of creating an app, which turned out to be very time consuming and expensive, which is why I decided to create a website instead so that I could use my time more effectively for the research process.

Filip: 

A challenge that came with making the product was the issue of communication. While I used several methods such as phone calls, emails and even social media, the most beneficial method was actually meeting them in person during winter, however that global contact was an issue. Another challenge was using Xcode, since I had never programmed using XCODE or the coding language “swift” before.

QQ: Has doing the project taught you anything in particular ?

Emma: The project has taught me a lot more about veganism and the benefits of it on health and on the environment. I have also learned that there is a significant difference between generations when it comes to accepting a concept that goes against the way you are raised. During the exhibition I noticed older generations (parents, teachers) were a lot less accepting of the idea and less willing to face the facts, however most of the students were very intrigued and immediately convinced.

Filip: Doing the project has taught me a lot about how systems can be beneficial in several regards, such as Cooperviva giving people a line of work, as well as recycling. I also greatly improved my coding skills in regards to IOS development and in general. As well as how to effectively carry out interviews and questionnaires.

For future advice both students gave the advice of choosing a topic that you are passionate about and have a personal investment in order to keep the motivation alive. Secondly, they said that time management and planning the project is crucial. Don’t leave anything to the last minute and spread the workload evenly through the year. The Personal Project is a fantastic way to produce something that is of your own interest and ending with a quote from Filip, “in the end I thought this was a very fun project, and was beneficial to my development as a student, learner and in the future in general.”