What is the Exit Project?
Every year, our 5th-graders end the school year with an Exit Project. But what is this endeavor?
A Pedagogical Approach Rooted in Real-World Learning
The exit project aligns with the school’s educational philosophy by actively engaging students in real-world, meaningful, and multidisciplinary projects. Project-based learning employs a dynamic classroom approach that enables students to acquire in-depth knowledge of content while developing essential skills in critical thinking, collaboration, curiosity, and communication.
Independent Research and Bilingual Writing
The Exit Project is a significant endeavor in which students select a broad research topic of their choice and write a detailed, bilingual paper that demonstrates their expertise on the subject. The project creates an engaging and fun environment where students use their curiosity to learn about a topic that genuinely resonates with them.
The “Grand Oral” Presentation
The experience culminates in the “grand oral,” a bilingual oral presentation delivered in front of an audience of fellow students, parents, teachers, and school leaders. Each student presents their work independently, using digital visuals to support their talk. They begin with a compelling introduction explaining their choice of topic.
A Celebration of Bilingualism
All 5th-grade students are bilingual in French and English; the challenge to incorporate two languages in the presentation in a cohesive way was a daring one, but one in which all the students prevailed! Following the completion of the visual presentation, students interact with the public and answer any questions posed to them. So many challenges to conquer!
A Rite of Passage
The Exit Project is both a rigorous and rewarding rite of passage, a powerful demonstration of everything our students have learned and become.
Some Examples of 2025 Exit Projects
This year again, the students impressed us with their originality and curiosity. Their projects tackled a wide range of engaging topics such as Ultra Processed Foods, How Did Cybersecurity Become the Biggest Part of the FBI?, and What Impacts Does Glacier Melting Have on Animals, and How Can We Limit Them? Other thought-provoking subjects included How Is Technology a Threat to the Human Sleep Cycle?, How Can We Effectively Prevent Forest Fires in the Face of Increasing Droughts and Global Warming?, and Why Do Empires Fall?
Students also explored environmental and ethical questions like How Pollution Affects Humans, Animals, and the Environment, the emotional benefits of How Can Pets Be Therapeutic?, the psychological impact of Video Games and Their Effects on Children, and even literary themes such as Why Do Dragons Frequently Appear in Literature?
This experience requires mobilizing so many skills, and they certainly have grown from it. The Exit Project is an example of the French American Academy’s approach to creating an environment where students become active learners and take ownership of their learning through multidisciplinary projects.
Well done, 5th graders!
