by Gabrielle Williams
            As we exited I-25, it hit me, “Oh, my goodness. We’re playing at the Pepsi Center.”
            It’s been a tradition for countless years. The varsity teams of Campion Academy and Mile High Academy come together to play basketball. But the game isn't played at Campion’s or Mile High’s gyms. It is played on the Denver Nuggets’ court; the same court that legends play on. The same court that Michael Jordan played on. The same court that Stephen Curry would play on later that night.
The excitement showed on each player’s face. It didn't matter if it was a player’s first time or fourth time, playing on the Nugget’s court is a big deal.
            It was only my first time. As we headed into the huge locker room, fear began to grip me. The thoughts were racing at 100 miles an hour inside my head. What if coach doesn’t play me? What if he does play me? What if I mess up? What if I get hurt? What if I’m not good enough?....
            But then I looked around the room, I saw that it was full of amazing, talented athletes who were my teammates. The one thing that I knew for sure was that they had my back. Something I learned from my coach is that being on a varsity team is a privilege and it's about representing yourself and your team as Christ followers. In Joshua 1:9 it says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Not only were all my teammates there for me, but God was there to help me do my best, all for His glory.
            As we headed out onto the court, I felt a strange sense of peace. I wasn't afraid anymore because I knew that all my teammates, my coach, and God all wanted to see me succeed.
            When we stepped out onto the court, it was surreal. We played hard and worked as a team, all for God’s glory.  
            If I've learned one thing from basketball, it’s that it’s much more than just getting a ball into a basket. It goes way deeper than mastering the fundamentals of dribbling or perfecting your shot. It has taught me about teamwork and that when you give God the glory, He promises to give you courage and help you to do your very best.

Project-based learning, which often raises the stakes for students by incorporating outside audiences in their assessment, aims to challenge students with problem solving and collaborative work. In geography class, Nathaniel Marin's students feel the pressure at the end of the semester as they finish a model of a major landmark, prepare a 4-course meal for the judges, make a video, and create a map of their chosen country. Then, geography students field questions about their country as judges and visitors tour their work in an exhibition during the last week of the semester.