As another fall season comes and goes, so does the personal credo season at Scituate High School. The Personal Credo Project, which is included in the junior English curriculum, has been a tried and true tradition at SHS. Juniors look forward to an entire unit dedicated to their interests, as they are challenged to engage in a 30-day experiment that pushes them to try something new, interesting, or outside their comfort zone. The credo unit takes about 3-4 weeks to complete, mostly through the month of November.  

SHS English teacher Kate Harwood is very passionate about the credo project. When asked why this unit is unique, Harwood replied, “I think we give people a lot more choice to do whatever they want to do and a lot more freedom to succeed or fail at the task.” Harwood explained that the project grade is not based on whether your fail at your task, but rather if you try to achieve your goal. Harwood said, “You put in what you want to get out of it.”

A primary purpose of the credo project is to become more transcendental–more in touch with surroundings and more detached from technology. Junior Cameron Stone learned first-hand how abstract the project can be. When asked what his project was, Stone replied, “I watched and observed my chickens for thirty days.”  Stone noted that as his chickens grew older, they became more independent and developed new mannerisms.  Stone said, “I learned that as we grow older, we also become more independent, just like the chickens, and eventually we will leave the nest.”

 This year, the credo project had a new component: Students were encouraged to seek out an expert’s opinion for the project they were pursuing. Harwood said this additional element is great because it allows students to branch out and become more involved in the community.

SHS English teacher Anne Blake, who is teaching junior English for the fourth year, said during previous years her students were focused on meditation and relaxation. This year, many students took on new challenges and tried something new. “I think we give people a lot more choice to do whatever they want to do,” she said. According to Blake, the project provides a safe space for students to try something new without the fear of getting a bad grade. She said, “You can totally screw up your challenge and you can still be successful.”

When asked about new trends for credo projects this year, Harwood stated, “One trend that I’ve noticed are a lot of people are including a lot of other people in their projects.” According to Harwood, this year more students included their family members. Harwood said she welcomes this trend, noting students can be “strengthening or improving” a relationship through the project.