text: Perhaps the most obvious reason to allow student-designed summer projects is the opportunity this gives students to pursue information that interests them. Children are often pressured to identify their interests from an early age, and the common overlook made by schools is that children are not often given opportunities to explore new things, and are rarely given a chance to make decisions based on what they want. They will produce better results when given freedom and are made to feel like their opinion actually makes a difference. If a student has interest in one academic field but not another, it would make no sense to stifle their passion and have them create a project that is just mediocre compared to encouraging their interest and receiving a spectacular product.