Tell us about yourself, your role, and how many years you’ve been in education.
My name is Ligia, and I’m currently a Middle School Associate Division Head at Avenues in São Paulo, Brazil, where I work closely with our teaching team. I’ve been in education for about 15 years, starting as a literacy teacher in traditional Brazilian schools with a focus on Portuguese literacy. When I joined Avenues seven years ago, I began working more closely with student-centered approaches and PBL, spending four years in the classroom before transitioning to my current leadership role. Since attending the PBL World Conference, I’ve become even more engaged in supporting and expanding PBL practices within our school.
Your WHY for PBL?
What I love most about PBL is how meaningful it is for students. Instead of simply telling their parents, “I had a great science class today,” they come home excited to share what they learned, the project they’re working on, and how it connects to the real world. That real-world relevance makes learning more dynamic and engaging, helping students form deeper connections to the content beyond just attending a science or history class.
How did it feel for you as an educator when you experienced and implemented PBL for the first time?
Before coming to Avenues, I had no experience with PBL—not even in college. I attended a traditional Brazilian school, where we dabbled in projects, but they were more like “dessert projects” rather than fully integrated learning experiences. When I was first introduced to PBL, it took me a while to really understand how it worked and how much freedom teachers have with it. Coming from such a traditional background, I initially thought, “Wait, we have to cover this content, this content, and this content,” and I was used to rigid class structures. At first, it was hard to grasp. However, after a few weeks of reflection and hands-on experiences, I started to see how comprehensive PBL really is—you can teach any topic through a project. Avenues did a great job immersing us in PBL practices with five weeks of training when the school first opened.
Once I saw how students connected with PBL—how engaged they were and how much differentiation and depth it allowed—I realized its power. That’s when I truly fell in love with the approach.
After nearly six years of being immersed in PBL at a PBL school, what inspired you to attend PBL World?
The first time I heard about PBL World was from a colleague who mentioned it was the largest PBL conference in the world, and I said, “We need to send people there!” Even though we were already practicing PBL, we saw the value in gaining an outside perspective to refine our approach and bring fresh energy to our work.
In 2023, I went with a colleague, another Associate Division Head, which enhanced the experience so much. We had the chance to exchange ideas and experiences with others. We weren’t always paired with the same people, so we got to collaborate with different educators. It was amazing to brainstorm ideas with people from various contexts. And when we had to think about how to apply what we learned to our own context, it felt so much more meaningful because we were doing it together.
What workshop did you take? What were the most valuable takeaways from this experience?
I attended the three-day PBL Leadership workshop. I appreciated how our facilitators didn’t just explain strategies—they modeled them in action, allowing us to experience the routines firsthand. This made it easy to immediately apply what we learned. Many of the strategies we explored at the workshop became integral to our work at Avenues, particularly in training new teachers who join us each semester. After PBL World, we had a wealth of new approaches to incorporate into our onboarding sessions, giving our teachers a quick yet immersive introduction to PBL. The workshop also helped us refine a document on success criteria for projects, for example, strengthening a resource we had already been developing. The PBL World experience was truly a productive deep dive into our work.
This was my first PBL training outside of Avenues, and it gave me a new level of confidence. The workshop reinforced many of the practices we were already using, providing a sense of reassurance and empowerment in my leadership. Being surrounded by other leaders made the experience even more impactful—we shared a common perspective, which made our discussions especially meaningful. Of course, it was also great to connect with teachers, and I had the chance to do that during lunch, meeting educators from all over the U.S. But there was something powerful about being in a space dedicated to PBL leadership, where we could deeply engage with the work from a shared lens.
What was a unique aspect of the PBL World experience?
Two things really stood out to me about PBL World. First, the fact that it was held in a school rather than a hotel made the experience feel so much more practical and immersive—we truly felt like students. With a room full of leaders all working toward the same goal, the atmosphere was both collaborative and inspiring, regardless of our varying levels of experience with PBL.
The second was the PBL Champions gathering at Copia at the Culinary Institute. The setting was beautiful—early evening, the sun still out, and a relaxed, welcoming vibe. It was the perfect space to connect, share ideas, and continue conversations about schools and PBL in a natural, unhurried way. While Napa wasn’t the reason we were there, it certainly added to the experience, making it all the more memorable!
What advice would you offer to educators considering attending PBL World?
My advice is to go with an open mind and be ready to connect with others. The facilitators are incredibly knowledgeable and create a supportive workshop environment that encourages meaningful discussions and collaboration, even if stepping out of your comfort zone feels challenging. Jump in, engage, and share your experiences. It’s just three days, but those three days are filled with powerful learning, inspiring takeaways, and incredible facilitators who make the experience truly impactful.
PBL World 2025: Join us at American Canyon High School in Napa Valley from June 23-26, 2025, to begin or continue your PBL journey with four days of transformative professional development. For more information, visit https://www.pblworks.org/pbl-world.
✉️ If you attended PBL World and it has impacted your teaching in transformative ways, reach out to Natalie at [email protected]. Your experience might be someone else's valuable inspiration. Join us in sharing the transformative power of PBL on teaching and learning—we can't wait to hear about your PBL journey!