Learning Project Based Learning Through “City As Lab” Competition

How project-based learning helped students build confidence, agency, collaboration, and a lasting love for learning. 

Context
For several years, I had been deeply interested in the philosophy and methodology of Project Based Learning (PBL). I was fascinated by its emphasis on inquiry, student agency, collaboration, reflection and real-world problem solving. The idea that students could learn deeply by investigating authentic issues rather than memorizing textbook content resonated strongly with my own beliefs about meaningful education.

At the same time, I was also deeply interested in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and the importance of nurturing self-awareness, empathy, resilience, communication and responsible decision-making in children. What particularly intrigued me was the natural overlap between PBL and SEL. Authentic projects require students to collaborate, manage emotions, reflect on failures, communicate effectively and work responsibly with others. In many ways, PBL creates the ideal environment for social and emotional growth to happen organically.

Although I had read extensively about PBL, I had never had the opportunity to implement it in practice because I was not teaching in a formal school setting at the time.

This changed when I was introduced to “City As Lab,” an annual all-India Project Based Learning competition in which students worked on self-selected projects over a six-month period. The competition immediately appealed to me because it offered an authentic opportunity to test the principles of PBL in a real-world context.

Over two consecutive years, I participated in the competition with groups of students from my residential colony, guiding them through the complete process of inquiry, research, collaboration and project creation.

Problem
Despite my enthusiasm for Project Based Learning, I faced a major challenge: I was completely new to implementing PBL myself.

Traditional education largely prepares educators to deliver information in structured and controlled ways. PBL, however, requires a very different role. The facilitator must create conditions for inquiry, guide learning without dominating it and help students navigate ambiguity, teamwork, reflection and problem-solving.

I had to learn:

• how to facilitate long-term inquiry,

• how to balance guidance with student autonomy,

• how to keep students motivated over several months,

• how to encourage collaboration,

• and how to help children reflect meaningfully on both their learning and their behaviour.

Another challenge was that the students themselves were products of conventional schooling systems where learning was often teacher-directed, exam-oriented and focused on finding the “right answer.” Independent inquiry, self-directed learning and reflective thinking were unfamiliar experiences for many of them.

There was also no formal school structure supporting the process. I was working independently with students from my colony, which meant creating systems, timelines, accountability and motivation outside a traditional classroom environment.

At a deeper level, the challenge was not only academic but also social and emotional. Sustained project work requires students to:

• manage disagreements,

• communicate respectfully,

• persevere through setbacks,

• accept feedback,

• and reflect honestly on their own actions and learning.

This meant that the project naturally demanded SEL competencies alongside academic skills.

Initial State
The “City As Lab” competition allowed me to work with a small group of students living in my residential colony. The environment was informal and flexible, which gave students more freedom than a traditional classroom setting.

At the beginning of the journey:

• students were largely accustomed to structured instruction,

• many lacked confidence in independent thinking,

• collaboration skills were still developing,

• and reflection as a learning process was relatively new to them.

The idea of working on a single project for six months initially seemed overwhelming.

Students needed support in:

• identifying meaningful problems,

• asking good questions,

• conducting authentic research,

• organizing their work,

• and presenting their ideas coherently.

Emotionally too, students had to learn how to:

• deal with frustration,

• manage differences of opinion,

• persist through uncertainty,

• and become responsible contributors within a team.

At the same time, the informal setting also became a major advantage. Since the work was not driven by marks or exams, students gradually began engaging with learning out of curiosity and genuine interest rather than external pressure.

Approach
Rather than waiting until I felt fully prepared, I decided to learn Project Based Learning by immersing myself in the process alongside the students. The competition became a live experiment in experiential learning, inquiry and SEL integration.

1. Learning Alongside the Students

Since I myself was learning PBL, I adopted the role of a facilitator and co-learner rather than an authoritative instructor. This created a culture where questioning, experimentation and uncertainty were accepted as part of the learning journey.

Students saw that learning is not about always having answers, but about engaging courageously with problems and ideas.

2. Student Choice and Ownership

Students selected topics based on their own observations and interests. This immediately increased motivation and ownership because the projects were connected to real-life concerns.

The projects addressed authentic community-related issues and encouraged students to think critically about the world around them.

3. Reflection as a Core Practice

Reflection became one of the most important components of the process.

Students were encouraged to regularly reflect on:

• what they were learning,

• how they were contributing,

• what challenges they faced,

• how they handled disagreements,

• and how they could improve both individually and as a team.

This reflective process became a powerful SEL tool.

Over time, students became:

• more self-aware,

• more responsible,

• more emotionally resilient,

• and more conscious of the impact of their behaviour on others.

Reflection also helped students become more open to feedback and more capable of regulating emotions during stressful phases of the project.

4. Collaboration and Relationship Building

PBL naturally required teamwork and collaboration. Students had to discuss ideas, divide responsibilities, negotiate decisions and solve problems together.

Initially, differences in opinions sometimes created tension. However, through guided conversations and reflective discussions, students gradually learnt:

• empathy,

• active listening,

• respectful disagreement,

• patience,

• and shared accountability.

As a result, relationships among the students improved significantly over the course of the projects.

The experience demonstrated how PBL can become a practical vehicle for Social Emotional Learning rather than treating SEL as a separate subject.

5. Real-World Inquiry

Students learnt how to:

• conduct research,

• collect and analyse data,

• interview people,

• evaluate evidence,

• and develop solutions.

Two notable projects included:

“Restaurant Bills Under a Scanner”- https://cityaslabindia.org/featured-projects/exemplar-research-projects/

A research project examining restaurant billing practices and consumer awareness.

“Security App”- https://cityaslabindia.org/featured-projects/exemplar-coding-projects/

A coding-based project focused on addressing security-related concerns through technology.

Both projects were later recognized nationally as exemplary projects.

6. Building Independence

Throughout the six-month process, students were encouraged to make decisions, solve problems independently and take responsibility for deadlines and deliverables.

Gradually, they shifted from passive learners to active investigators and creators.

Outcome
The outcomes were far beyond what I had initially expected.

Year One

I entered three student teams into the competition, and all three were selected among their projects nationally.

Year Two

The following year, I entered one team, and that project too was selected among the Top 10.

In addition:

• “Restaurant Bills Under a Scanner” and “Security App” were featured as exemplary projects.

These recognitions validated both the quality of the student work and the effectiveness of the PBL process.

However, the deeper outcomes were social, emotional and transformational.

Students developed:

• confidence,

• independence,

• communication skills,

• collaboration skills,

• resilience,

• critical thinking,

• and problem-solving abilities.

They also became significantly more reflective and emotionally aware.

The reflective practices built into the process helped students understand:

• their strengths,

• their emotional reactions,

• their responsibilities toward others,

• and the importance of teamwork and empathy.

The students also learnt to persist through challenges rather than giving up when difficulties arose.

Impact
The most significant impact of the experience was the transformation in the students’ relationship with learning.

The students fell deeply in love with the PBL methodology because it made learning meaningful, engaging and empowering. They experienced the joy of discovering answers for themselves rather than passively receiving information.

One of the students’ most memorable comments was that I “should have been the Principal of their school.” While informal, this reflected how strongly they valued an educational environment that trusted them, respected their ideas and nurtured their growth holistically.

The projects also demonstrated the powerful connection between Project Based Learning and Social Emotional Learning.

Through sustained collaboration, inquiry and reflection, students became:

• more self-aware,

• more responsible,

• emotionally resilient,

• better communicators,

• and more empathetic toward one another.

Relationships among the students improved considerably because they learnt how to listen, collaborate and support one another through challenges.

Perhaps the most important outcome was that the students learnt “how to learn.” They became independent learners capable of:

• asking questions,

• seeking information,

• analysing problems,

• reflecting critically,

• and taking ownership of their own growth.

For me personally, the experience strengthened my conviction that meaningful education must go beyond academic achievement and intentionally nurture the social, emotional and human dimensions of learning.

The experience showed that when students are trusted with authentic work, supported through reflection and given opportunities for collaboration, education becomes transformative—not only intellectually, but emotionally and socially as well.

Conclusion
The “City As Lab” experience demonstrated the transformative potential of Project Based Learning when combined with reflection and Social Emotional Learning. What began as an opportunity to experiment with PBL became a powerful journey of growth for both the students and me as an educator. The projects not only produced national recognition but also nurtured essential life skills such as self-awareness, collaboration, resilience, empathy and independent thinking. Through sustained inquiry and reflective practice, students learnt how to take ownership of their learning, work meaningfully with others and persist through challenges. Most importantly, they discovered the joy of learning itself. The experience reaffirmed my belief that education must move beyond rote learning and create opportunities for students to think deeply, connect emotionally and engage authentically with the world around them.