<p>S2 was so shy that he would take an F rather than present in class. His friends convinced him to join the OM team promising him that he was only needed for his engineering and artistic skills. Over the course of the season they not only got him to be part of the performance, but to dance and say a line, too. I thought I would never see that day. He is not wild about presenting anything in front of a group but it no longer terrorizes him and I totally credit that OM team. And it was the team the coaxed him into it, no adult interference allowed :)</p>
<p>I agree that the “no adult interference” also was a great aspect–as so many school project can get contaminated by adults who can’t resist over-involvement and the kids then don’t get their own pride-in-the-work. I found the adults who were in OM were interesting, original and great advocates for all kinds of kids (not just their kid). And I am REALLY grateful still to the mom who provided the adult leadership for our kids’ team and had all those teens with all their stuff in her house for years!</p>
<p>And they do learn stuff they might never have otherwise: our gang did a life size pop-up book one year and this involved engineering way beyond me (including how to ship it cross country…)</p>