Allowing students the opportunity to actively choose their exhibition topics is a critical component for the success of these long-term, time-consuming, and challenging projects. Students need to take time to reflect on what will sustain their interest and challenge them throughout the process. Some students may have difficulty selecting a topic for exhibition. In some cases, they may not have had an opportunity to reflect significantly on their "passions" or areas of special interest. Teachers, advisors, project coordinators, and parents should be prepared to help students select topics that are appropriate, feasible, and compelling. Once they have selected topics, students are required to submit a written proposal or letter of intent so that their topics of choice can be approved by the adults who will support them in the process.

Things to Consider

Topic selection will require direct interaction with an adult in the school. This interaction might be built into a school's advisor/advisee, guidance, or career counseling system, a required or elective course dedicated to exhibitions, or may occur independently with any number of adults who have responsibility for implementing an exhibition system. Adults should consider when guiding the student and approving selected topics:

• The potential financial costs of a project
• The feasibility of the project in terms of time commitment and level of skill/knowledge required
• The availability of "experts" or knowledgeable adults to serve as mentors, as well as any other prohibitive factors
• The creation of topic selection workshops for students who are having difficulty selecting a topic