Students are required to have a Teacher Mentor to help them through their capstone project. This could be a teacher that connects to your future career or pathway goals, or a teacher you trust. All teachers at Central High School are ready and capable of being great mentors but if you would like some additional help, you can schedule a meeting with the Capstone STEM Coordinator today!

If you have a teacher in mind, approach or schedule a time to meet with them to begin the Capstone Process.

There are a wide variety of Capstone Project options. Once you have met with your teacher mentor and narrowed down your project to a solid design idea, you must submit a formal project proposal to the STEM Capstone Coordinator. This is the opportunity for you to receive some additional feedback and to get connected with resources to make your project a success.

Check the additional resources below for some tips and tricks for an effective proposal!

The purpose of your Capstone Project is to demonstrate your ability to solve problems. As students work through the problem-solving process, they are to document artifacts of their work through each step. Portfolios can look different and are unique to the project. Some students keep a digital portfolio, some make video portfolios, and some have physical notebooks. Reach out to your mentor teacher to help determine a portfolio style that works best for you. 

Portfolios should include the following.

• Meeting times / Work times

• Collaborators and their contribution

• Plans and planning processes

• Research and sources

• Challenges and Successes

• Supplies and Sources

Students completing a capstone project are required to complete an internship or job shadow as an additional reflection of their professional skill development. Most students make industry or professional connections in relation to their capstone project which they can arrange to meet these requirements.  

Internships or Job Shadows do not have a set time commitment but should be facilitated both through your teacher mentor and Capstone STEM Coordinator. 

Capstone presentations are held once a year every April. These capstone presentations are open to the general public and the student body. They are also presented before a panel of STEM stakeholders to reflect on their presentation and their work. 

Your capstone presentation can be completed in a variety of ways including a PowerPoint, video, or public speech. Regardless, students must be able to summarize their capstone work highlighting their problem-solving process. In addition to this presentation, students must present their portfolio and a short reflection paper. Below are the presentation topics we are looking for in your presentation. Check the resources section below for a rubric for capstone presentations. 

Presentation Requirements

• Name or names for a group project

• Table of Contents or summary of presentation

• Problem Statement

• Research completed (minimum 3 sources)

• Prototyping or Design Plans

• Final Work and Budget

• Analysis or Testing or Validation of Design

• Challenges you overcame

• Things you could do to improve

• Personal Development or Skill development as a result of your project