A different type of success: teaching important life skills through project based learning

US high schools appear to measure success according to the number of students admitted into four-year institutions each year. Although this is one measure, there are some schools that focus on developing important life skills needed to become productive members of society. Online surveys were sent out to alumni, students, teachers, and parents to a student-centered charter school in Minnesota to explore definitions of success and determine if this school teaches life skills. One hundred and forty-seven surveys were collected from these four groups. Life skills such as creativity (94%) and ability to find information (92%) were ranked much higher than academic skills such as test taking (33%) and note taking (39%). Academic skills ranked low, yet 50 percent of the alumni polled graduated from college, which is considerably higher than the national average (39%). To further enhance the learning at project based learning schools, educators should provide opportunities for students to practice academic skills such as note taking and test taking so that students who plan to attend college will be better prepared. The research in this study showed that this school is excellent at teaching important life skills that help students succeed in college, and in life in general.