Whistler Waldorf Grade 8 students participate in “Grade 8 Projects”. These are year long independent projects. Students choose an area of interest to explore and find a professional mentor in the community to guide them through their exploration. Finally, they present their work to the broader community.

These projects give students the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of a field or skill they would not have had the opportunity to otherwise develop. It also provides the opportunity for them to connect with adults in the broader community. These mentors and their own interests inspire the students’ efforts.

Through participation in Grade 8 projects students go beyond their comfort zone. Students learn they can go out into the world and interact with adults in the professional world. This builds perseverance and self-confidence and is often a transformative experience for our students.

Recently, one of our students had the fortune of spending time with his mentor at Whistler Heliport. He is working on photographic storytelling – the art of conveying stories, ideas and viewpoints through the medium of photography. What a great venue for creating visually interesting photographs; we can’t wait to see his culminating project this spring.