An Urban School’s Approach to the Senior Capstone Project: Promoting a Culture of Excellence

Title: An Urban School's Approach to the Senior Capstone Project: Promoting a Culture of Excellence ABSTRACT This paper offers an analysis of the implementation of the Senior Capstone Project within a mid-size urban public school district. The Senior Capstone Project is a multidimensional experience that serves as a culminating project for students, typically during their final year of high school or at the end of an academic program. Capstone projects are generally designed to encourage students to research, solve authentic problems, think critically, collaborate with peers and others (ex: mentors), and develop skills such as written and oral communication, civic and social responsibility, global awareness, etc. These soft skills will eventually prepare students for college, career, and real-world success and equip them with a nuanced set of skills that can prepare them for the unknown. In the mid-size urban public school district, the Senior Capstone Project is a celebration of learning. It is designed to prepare senior students attending the Academy for lifelong learning and productive citizenship through the opportunity to plan, complete, and present a self-directed project reflecting a civic interest. The Academy is a 4-year 'early college' model spanning grades 9-12. The racial/ethnic composition of the school is 59% African American and 40% Hispanic whereby 72% of our students are considered economically disadvantaged. The Academy's Senior Capstone Project underscores Carlton Jordan's position that capstone projects are only as successful as the work that precedes them (2016). The Senior Capstone Project is designed to reflect a culmination of the students' academic experiences in their respective 'track courses.' These courses are a sequence of advanced STEM courses beginning with exploratory courses offered in grade 9, then gradually advancing in scope and depth throughout grades 10 through 12. They mimic college majors by which students "declare" their track in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or The Computing Sciences at the end of grade 9, then progress within the chosen track through grade 12. The Senior Capstone integrates 3 elements: Community Service, Project Design, and a Research Paper that explores an overall, student-selected research question. One example of a research question developed by our students addresses language barriers in healthcare: What disparities exist in the treatment of non-English speaking patients compared to English speaking patients? How can biomedical innovations be used with regards to programs, devices, or interventions to ensure that all patients receive quality care and clear communication with their providers? This Senior Capstone Project culminated in a written literature review a final research paper, an "app" developed in Apple's Xcode (an integrated development environment (IDE)) supporting the Swift programming language and designed to help non-English speaking patients navigate the medical arena, a poster, and PowerPoint presentation. Our white paper will underscore the importance of this unique Senior Capstone Project as a non-traditional educational requirement. By linking the Engineering Design Process to the Service Learning Model, our aim is to reinforce the transferable skills needed for success in the workplace and in a rapidly-changing and competitive world.