The Senior Capstone Project is the culminating experience of the STEM Magnet Program. It allows students to demonstrate how their academic learning, project experiences, community involvement, and career preparation have developed throughout their four years in the program.

During the senior year, students identify a meaningful real-world problem and use the knowledge and skills gained through their STEM pathway to research, design, develop, test, and present a solution.

Students complete a Capstone Project aligned with one of the following pathways:

• Engineering

• Computer Science

• Biomedical Science

Purpose of the Senior Capstone

The Senior Capstone is designed to help students:

• Demonstrate mastery of STEM knowledge and pathway-specific skills

• Apply the design, inquiry, or development process to a real-world problem

• Conduct research and use evidence to support decisions

• Develop, test, and improve a product, solution, prototype, system, application, or recommendation

• Strengthen project management and independent learning skills

• Prepare for college, careers, internships, and future innovation

• Present their work to an authentic audience

What Students Do

Throughout the Capstone process, students will:

• Identify a real-world problem or driving question connected to their STEM pathway

• Define the purpose of the project and its intended audience, client, or stakeholder

• Conduct background research and analyze relevant information or data

• Establish project goals, success criteria, and a project timeline

• Follow a design, inquiry, research, or development process

• Create and test a solution, product, prototype, system, application, or recommendation

• Document revisions made throughout the project

• Collect and respond to feedback

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the final outcome

• Gather images, videos, data, or other evidence of their work

• Reflect on their growth, challenges, and overall learning

• Present the completed project at the STEM Expo

Required Capstone Components

Each Senior Capstone must include:

• Project title

• Problem statement or driving question

• Project purpose

• Intended audience, client, or stakeholder

• Background research

• Project goals

• Measurable success criteria

• Project timeline

• Design, inquiry, research, or development process

• Documentation of revisions and improvements

• Feedback received

• Final product, solution, prototype, system, application, or recommendation

• Evaluation of the project’s results

• Images, videos, data, or other supporting evidence

• Final reflection

• Formal presentation

Project-specific elements, such as a system diagram, data dashboard, technical model, research display, application demonstration, or prototype, may be included when appropriate for the student’s pathway and project.

STEM Electronic Portfolio

In addition to the Senior Capstone Project, every STEM Magnet student must maintain an electronic portfolio documenting their growth and accomplishments throughout all four years of high school.

The portfolio serves as a complete record of the student’s STEM Magnet experience and provides evidence of academic growth, career preparation, leadership, service, and pathway development.

Required Portfolio Evidence

The electronic portfolio must include:

Four Years of Science Fair Participation

Students must document their science fair project from each year of high school:

• 9th-grade science fair project

• 10th-grade science fair project

• 11th-grade science fair project

• 12th-grade science fair project

Each project entry must include:

• Project title

• Problem, question, or purpose

• Brief description of the research or investigation

• Final results or conclusions

• Student reflection

• Images of the project, experiment, display, prototype, or presentation

Grade-Level Project-Based Learning Experiences

Students must include evidence of major grade-level PBL experiences completed throughout the STEM Magnet Program.

Each entry should include:

• Project title and grade level

• Driving question or problem

• Student role and responsibilities

• Final product or solution

• Images, links, or other evidence

• Reflection on skills developed

Community Service

Students must document a minimum of 100 approved community service hours completed during their four years in the STEM Magnet Program.

Documentation must include:

• Organization or service activity

• Dates of service

• Number of hours completed

• Description of responsibilities

• Verification of participation

• Reflection on the impact of the service

Internship Experience

Students must document a minimum of 40 internship hours.

The internship portfolio section must include:

• Name of the organization or employer

• Internship dates

• Total hours completed

• Supervisor or mentor information

• Description of duties and responsibilities

• Skills developed

• Evidence of participation, when permitted

• Final internship reflection

Senior Capstone Project

The electronic portfolio must include a direct link to the student’s completed Senior Capstone Project.

This section should contain:

• Project overview

• Final product or solution

• Supporting research and documentation

• Images, videos, data, or demonstrations

• Final presentation

• Student reflection

STEM Expo

Students will present their Senior Capstone Projects at the STEM Expo. During the Expo, students will:

• Showcase their work to industry professionals, educators, families, and community members

• Explain the problem they investigated

• Describe their research and development process

• Demonstrate or present their final product, solution, or recommendation

• Explain how feedback influenced revisions

• Evaluate whether the project met its success criteria

• Respond to questions and receive authentic feedback

The STEM Expo mirrors professional experiences such as engineering showcases, technology demonstrations, research symposiums, product presentations, and scientific conferences.

Skills Students Develop

Through the Senior Capstone and electronic portfolio process, students strengthen:

• Critical thinking and problem-solving

• Research and data analysis

• Creativity and innovation

• Technical and pathway-specific knowledge

• Communication and presentation skills

• Collaboration and professional networking

• Project management and time management

• Independence and personal responsibility

• Reflection and self-evaluation

• College and career readiness

Connection to Earlier STEM Experiences

The Senior Capstone builds on the skills students develop through science fair projects, project-based learning experiences, community service, internships, pathway courses, and STEM enrichment activities.

• 9th Grade: Identifying problems, asking questions, conducting investigations, and documenting initial STEM experiences

• 10th Grade: Using research and data to design and evaluate possible solutions

• 11th Grade: Developing innovative ideas, applying pathway-specific skills, and preparing for professional experiences

• 12th Grade: Integrating four years of learning into a complete Capstone Project and electronic portfolio

Why the Capstone and Portfolio Matter

The Senior Capstone and electronic portfolio are more than graduation requirements. Together, they demonstrate a student’s readiness to move from high school into college, technical training, internships, military service, entrepreneurship, and STEM careers.

Students leave the STEM Magnet Program with:

• A portfolio-quality Senior Capstone Project

• A four-year record of STEM growth and achievement

• Documented science fair, PBL, service, and internship experiences

• Experience solving authentic problems

• Evidence of technical and professional skills

• Confidence presenting to real audiences

• A digital portfolio that may be shared with colleges, scholarship committees, employers, and internship providers