Important tips.
- Curation can look different for different projects - do not feel pressured to display every project at your school site. Some projects are more inclined to be displayed in public permanently (for instance, many forms of art can easily and beautifully be displayed at our schools) while others a different form of exhibition may be more appropriate (for example, maybe a performance or publishing a book makes more sense for your project).
- Plan ahead and be thoughtful - while you are brainstorming the project, the final exhibit/display should be included in this brainstorm process. Waiting until the project is done to think about this last step could result in unprofessional and/or shoddy curation.
- You don't HAVE to display EVERY student's work - curate what works. If they all fit and look professional, great. If there is not enough space, pick and choose which ones will be most appropriate. *CAUTION* Keep in mind this raises serious issues regarding equity and inclusion --
- Include students - once you've figured out the logistics, empower students to take ownership of their project and their exhibit. If everyone's work will not be displayed, have a conversation with them about which ones should be allowed to go up and which ones shouldn't. If it's appropriate for students to help with the installation, show them an example and allow them to do the rest of the work.
- Be available - professional and beautiful curation will take time and effort. Leave yourself a chunk of time everyday for you and your students to work on the display. If you have allowed students to take over, check in with them everyday.
- Exhibitions and displays are a part of authentic project-based learning - remember that giving our students an authentic audience and a place for their work to go once they're done is essential to meaningful PBL. Include the installation into your project calendar, show the students this is a part of the project itself and show them that they are not done with the project until it is exhibited.