You might be forgiven for thinking that Albany Senior High is like any other secondary school in New Zealand, but you'd be wrong. Not only is the school a leader in successfully delivering the demands of the curriculum through its three strands; specialist subject, tutorial and impact projects, but it has had national recognition for teaching through inquiry-based learning. Every Wednesday the timetable is suspended and students undertake projects that benefit the community. They can choose to work alone or in groups, but most importantly, they are the drivers of their own passions. The extended project links into some aspect of the curriculum but quite often students will develop skills and talents beyond what can be offered in a classroom. Three Year 12 students have chosen to work on cleaning up Lake Pupuke and its surrounds. Their passions were ignited when they saw an article in the North Shore Times in February highlighting the increasing levels of rubbish and the deteriorating state of the lake. The group's leader Callum Sands says he's “proud to be involved in a project that positively impacts the wider North Shore community.” Their project involves creating a Facebook page, research from Auckland Council about the response to waterway pollution and the production of a book showcasing all their hard work. Within the group they delegate specific tasks so as to focus on individual learning goals they want to achieve by the end of the project. Another member of the group is Jason Smith, who has deliberately chosen to work on this impact project as he is interested in conservation and protecting our natural environment. Their project mentor Marwan Juma helped the group focus on success criteria which in essence are milestones that give the students a sense of direction from start to finish. Marwan's careful guidance ensures the project will stay on track and delivers a final product in which the school can be proud. He says, “It’s important that students feel a sense of achievement as it is quite often impact projects that helps build their confidence in their specialist subject.” This new approach towards building a lasting student/mentor relationship, allowing them to work on project of their choosing and developing new skills along the way, is the future of education in New Zealand. Five or so hours of learning every Wednesday will pay off when the top eight project are chosen at the end of every year. In some cases their stakeholders are so interested in their projects that a job offer has been extended to the student. In other cases the success of their impact project has opened doors, like admission into university and scholarships.

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