Capstone Experience

Senior Capstone Experience

The senior year is designed to provide for several culminating experiences while preparing seniors for graduation and the world of education, training, and work beyond.

The Senior Capstone Experience is divided into three parts:

Part I:

All seniors are required to enroll in and successfully complete a one-trimester Senior Civics course during the first or second trimester. This course has an 18-hour community service requirement that is mandatory to receive credit for the course. The community service must be completed during the trimester the course is offered unless special arrangements are made with the teacher. All seniors participate in a “Senior Exhibition” that will require each student to demonstrate something they have learned in school by completing the following requirements.

Part II:

Choose a career pathway and a community/service-learning component that will be the focus of your Senior Exhibition. Obtain a mentor who has or is working in the field related to your Senior Exhibition, write a paper on a topic related to the career pathway and community/service issue, and create or demonstrate a project or product related to your issue. You will use your mentor to assist you in this requirement, develop a portfolio that outlines the steps you take during the entire Senior Exhibition experience, and make an oral presentation on the topic to a faculty committee appointed by the principal.

Presentations will be scheduled in May.

Seniors are registered for Senior Capstone and assigned to a teacher during the third trimester to assist with the final steps in the Senior Exhibition.

This course meets periodically as scheduled by the teacher. Time out of the classroom is expected to be used to complete work on the Senior Exhibition. Completion of the Senior Exhibition will earn students ½ credit on their transcript for Senior Capstone and is in lieu of a regular course.

Seniors will go beyond the first two Senior Capstone experiences and participate in an experiential or high-level learning activity (Capstone Experience) during the final trimester of high school. This capstone learning experience may be in lieu of regular courses and may earn from ½ to 1 full credit, depending on the experience elected and hours devoted to it.

Options may include:

A paid or unpaid internship,

A paid or unpaid apprenticeship,

A job shadowing experience of at least one full day.

Part III:

Additional, extensive community service in a local, non-GLPS community agency, cadet teaching, Freshman Focus Student Leader (this is a year-long commitment and requires an application to the Freshman Focus steering committee), an on-line, college-level learning experience, or a college course or series of related workshops.