West Hartford Public Schools held a celebration Monday evening for middle school students throughout the district who had completed their Type III projects.

By Ryan Leef

One of the unofficial mottos of QUEST, a West Hartford school-wide gifted and talented program, is “Curiosity Fuels the Future.”  Curiosity and creativity were clearly shining bright at King Philip Middle School on Monday April 7, 2025, during the 2024-2025 QUEST Middle Schools’ Type III Celebration.

A group of 200 students who are part of West Hartford’s Middle School QUEST program made waves with their Type III Projects – an advanced part of the Renzulli School-wide Enrichment Model that encourages students to dive headfirst into a variety of diverse topics of their choosing and allows them to produce authentic, high-level work for audiences of all kinds.

These self-directed projects enable students to pursue their passions and develop a product representation of their learning. Whether students are writing, building, drawing, coding, or performing, each QUEST student becomes a researcher, creator, and – most impressively – a teacher to an uninformed audience.

“As QUEST students delve into a topic that ignites their passion, they don’t just complete the research process; they become experts in that field,” said Mary Thompson, director of Gifted and Talented Programs for West Hartford Public Schools. “The Type III Experience is not merely about problem-solving or field contribution. It’s about constructing and contributing a product of significance and impact. QUEST students are not just learning; they are also educating the authentic audience.”

And educate they did. From how mental illness is managed to horror movie puppets to the history and evolution of pokemon, the students took center stage – and the results were nothing short of remarkable.

Eyton Alroy presents his QUEST Type III project on AI and athletics at a celebration at King Philip Middle School on April 7, 2025. Photo credit: Ryan Leef

Eyton Alroy, a student passionate about both science and sports, presented an investigation into how artificial intelligence is transforming modern athletics. “This project combined my interest in AI with another important interest in my life – soccer,” Eyton explained. His work explored how AI is used in performance analytics, injury prediction, and talent scouting which could revolutionize modern sports.

In a completely different, but equally captivating, direction, Hannah Larson brought history and pop culture together in her exhibit The Fishy Sicilian. “I was inspired after meeting an extra in The Godfather,” she shared, “… (later) my dad told me he once met Joe Bonanno at a funeral – that really stuck with me.”

Hannah Larson presents her QUEST Type III project, The Fishy Sicilian at a celebration at King Philip Middle School on April 7, 2025. Photo credit: Ryan Leef

Amy Long wowed the crowd with her presentation on viromes, which included a self-coded video game designed to educate players about viral ecosystems within a human body. By combining science and technology, her interactive game broke down complex biology into an engaging, easy to learn experience.

Each project reflected the heart of the QUEST Type III Investigation: the celebration of ideas, ingenuity, and investigations empowering education. From the first brainstorm to the final presentation, these young minds aren’t just thinking outside the box – they’re redesigning the box entirely.

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