Students Vlogs: Showcasing Meaningful Assessment

What does competency-based learning look like on a day-to-day basis? What kind of projects are students engaging in? As the school year comes to an end, Aurora is excited to highlight the end-of-year experiences of students learning in competency-based environments.

We invited student vloggers, returning and new, to share a piece of their learning journey with us through an interactive day-in-the-life video format. This year, four students created vlogs to give us an inside look at their school experiences. Students from Brookline High School, Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies (NEAAAT), Grand Rapids Public Museum High School, and Purdue Polytechnic High School got creative in showing us what they’ve accomplished as learners.

Sanaâ shows us what assessments look like in the ACE program at Brookline High School. Project-based learning can take the form of a presentation on study habits, a seminar discussion in climate justice, or a poster on the carbon cycle–Sanaâ is doing all of these and more! As a senior, Sanaâ is gearing up for Exhibition, where students present projects they worked on, achievements they are proud of, and habits of success they have been developing. Sanaâ highlights her success with project-based assessments as an alternative to traditional testing:

Charli, an 11th-grade student at NEAAAT, reflects on how she has demonstrated competency through projects and a final portfolio. Charli is also enrolled in classes at Elizabeth City State University, serves as the President of the NEAAAT Future Health Professionals Club, and much more. Charli walks us through her projects in Spanish, Chemistry, Personal Finance… a packed schedule! Charli learned valuable skills in time management while at NEAAAT and is excited to share these skills through her vlog: 

Maya, a Grand Rapids Public Museum High School student, shares a unique final project called Career Pathways. Maya takes us with her to Loyola and DePaul University as she learns more about careers in business by interviewing marketing professionals. See how project-based learning can be fun and future-oriented through Maya’s vlog:

Angelic, a senior at Purdue Polytechnic High School (PPHS), has experienced significant personal growth as a result of support from the coaches and people at her school. In her vlog, she highlights the strength of a student-centered, hands-on approach to learning, and how it has made a difference for students like her:

The Aurora Institute is proud to see these students thrive and unlock their deeper learner through competency-based education. The futures of these high school students are bright–they have proven to be leaders in their schools and communities, and we know these students will continue to shine in their endeavors. This student vlog project has been an opportunity to uplift student voices, empower young people and show how competency-based education really works.

 To check out our past vloggers, see Student Vlogs: A New Way to Elevate Student Voice in CBE

Gugma Vidal joined Aurora Institute in August 2024 as an intern for the CompetencyWorks program. She is currently a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying Public Policy and Business Administration. She is especially interested in health equity and will be attending Emory University for her Master of Public Health in the Fall.