A middle school educator (2026 Kentucky Teacher of the Year) presents how intentionally designed project-based learning (PBL) can reignite joy in teaching while raising expectations for all students by using real-world projects, community connections, and student choice to create classrooms of curiosity, purpose, and growth. Participants will learn practical strategies for designing authentic, multi-entry projects that allow every learner to experience success while still challenging them to exceed rubrics and ways to involve local mentors, advisors, and feedback partners to boost relevance and engagement. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas to implement PBL in their own classrooms and to empower Teaching and Learning pathway students to design and lead project-based experiences that support joyful, sustainable teaching practices.
