In athletics, there are competitive matches; in the performing arts, there are stage performances. If you imagine school as a series of practices, capstones are the “big game”.
They provide an opportunity for learners to get their ideas out into the world by working on a project they are passionate about while making an impact on their community.
A middle school or high school capstone is a culminating experience where students design and execute a significant and impactful project, often in their final academic year. This project requires students to apply knowledge and skills from various subjects while addressing real-world issues.
“Don’t let your age stop you." - Chris Blake (Trinity's teacher)
Trinity embarked on an environmental science capstone project during her senior year. Her challenge was to enhance the school's sustainability. She identified a major issue faced by her school and the larger community: the heavy reliance on imported food in Hawaiʻi.
Empowered by the agency to choose her own direction, Trinity initiated an on-campus, student-led farmer's market. Through this endeavor, she honed various skills, even delving into web design to create a website for the market. This experience ignited her passion for sustainability and farmers markets. It also boosted her self-confidence and taught her to leverage her age to her own benefit.
After graduating and attending a youth entrepreneurship summer camp, Trinity co-founded Mauka Market, the world’s first regenerative e-commerce and pop-up marketplace. Trinity's journey has culminated in her sole ownership of Mauka Market.
To learn more about Trinity's inspiring journey, listen to our podcast episode.
Here are a few more examples of middle school or high school capstone project ideas that highlight some of the possibilities:
1. Design a Sustainable Energy Solution for the School | STEM
Students in this project might investigate renewable energy sources, conduct energy audits, and propose innovative ways to reduce the school's carbon footprint and stem environmental degradation. They could then design and build wind turbines or set up solar panels and analyze the cost-effectiveness of their solutions.
2. Create a Social Impact Documentary | Humanities
Students interested in social issues might create a documentary that sheds light on a particular challenge in their community, such as mental health challenges or food insecurity. They would conduct interviews, gather data, and present their findings through a compelling film that raises awareness and encourages change.
3. Curate an Art Exhibition | Arts
Artistic students could curate an art exhibition that explores a specific theme, technique, or art movement. They would select artworks, write artist statements, and design the exhibition space to convey a narrative to visitors. Student could be encouraged to collaborate with their peers to coordinate a larger art show, providing the opportunity to develop their communication and cooperative planning skills.
4. Establish a Community or School Garden | Community Service
Students interested in a community service project might initiate a project to establish a local community or school garden. They would plan the garden layout, engage the community (or school), and document the garden's development, from seed planting to harvest. For an added STEM component, students could try different methods of gardening across multiple plots and collect and analyze data on growth rates.
5. Launch a Student-Run Business | Business & Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurial students might start a business within their school, such as a student-run café or an online store. They would handle all aspects, from market research and product development to marketing and financial management.
Keep in mind, projects should be personalized to the interests and skillset of each student, while also taking into account your learning community's unique learning objects or portrait of a graduate. A well-planned capstone experience will help prepare students for college and their professional careers. Devoting class time to guide students through introspection and identity reflection will significantly aid in preparing them to generate project ideas that hold personal meaning and captivate their interest.
Successfully integrating capstone projects with your learners involves several crucial stages:
1. Ideation Encourage learners to explore their interests, identifying topics that resonate with them. In addition, have students consider what impact they want to create in their community. This phase is about sparking curiosity and allowing them to select projects that will hold their attention over the course of a semester or year. For a helpful exercise you can run with your students, check out our Heart, Head, and Purpose lesson plan.
2. Research: Guide students in conducting thorough research related to their chosen topics. This phase is essential for building a strong foundation of knowledge and understanding, which will inform the entire capstone journey.
3. Project Management & Planning: Teach project management skills that enable students to break their projects into manageable steps. Encourage students to create a quarter, semester, or year-long plan, depending on the duration of the capstone project. This stage emphasizes effective organization and time management, ensuring that progress remains steady.
4. Project Implementation & Documentation: This is the heart of the capstone journey. Students actively work on their projects, translating ideas into tangible outcomes. Simultaneously, they document and reflect on their progress, challenges, and successes to create a comprehensive record to draw from during their final presentations.
5. Final Presentation/Showcase: Offer students the opportunity to present their finished projects to an audience of key stakeholders at a culminating showcase event. This stage hones communication and public speaking skills, allowing learners to articulate their findings, insights, and the learning journey itself.
6. Reflection & Assessment: After completing their projects, encourage students to reflect on the entire experience. This process aids in recognizing personal growth, skill development, and the challenges overcome. Use these reflections to assess the overall effectiveness of the capstone process.
By carefully guiding learners through these stages, you create a structured and meaningful capstone experience that fosters skill development, critical thinking, and self-confidence.
Sold on capstones? Here are our tips for running successful capstone projects:
Tip #1: Cultivate skills ahead of senior year (or 8th grade)
Begin laying the groundwork for capstone success by nurturing essential skills well before students reach their final year.
By initiating skill development at an earlier stage, educators can effectively equip learners with the capabilities and confidence needed to excel in their culminating project.
Tip #2: Implement weekly check-ins for clear progress tracking
Consider incorporating a weekly check-in system to keep tabs on your learners' progress. It will be the first time that many students will be embarking on a long-term project or being tasked with transforming their ideas into tangible realities. This transition can be overwhelming. To smooth this process, offer supportive scaffolding and introduce project management concepts.
By establishing weekly check-ins, you create a valuable framework for following your learners' progress and providing timely guidance.
Tip #3: Embrace your learners' identities, skills, and passions
A crucial aspect of capstone success is aligning it with your learners' unique identities, backgrounds, and life experiences. To do this, foster a culture of openness and trust through thorough ideation and an emphasis on vulnerability. Give ample space for learners to explore their interests, skills, and capacities, as well as the problems they aspire to solve in the world.
By dedicating time to these aspects, you enhance the overall value of the capstone experience.
Tip #4: Foster a capstone community
It’s important to engage essential players within the school ecosystem as you shape your program. This includes collaborating with college counseling, admissions teams, and the advancement office to facilitate mentorship opportunities for students. Equally vital is the participation of department heads (e.g. English and Social Studies) to co-create rubrics and align essential components of the capstone experience. By seamlessly weaving these elements into the fabric of existing courses, you create a continuous connection from ninth grade to twelfth grade.
Consider organizing several exhibition days throughout the capstone journey, rather than just at the end, to ensure that key stakeholders in a learner's academic journey remain informed and involved in the capstone experience. Capstones possess the remarkable potential to transform learning into a truly community-driven endeavor.
Unrulr addresses a common challenge for capstone educators: how to monitor students' progress without overwhelming them with assignments and rigid milestones.
Unrulr empowers students to shape their capstone narratives and share their ongoing progress by documenting the evolution of their projects and capturing their reflections throughout their learning journey.
Learners can delve into each other's posts and reflections and add comments, transforming their capstone experience into an active and collaborative community.
