Capstone Handbook
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Capstone Project
Student Guide
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Overview
Every student at Village Academy is required to complete a four-year Capstone Project which culminates in a documented research project that demonstrates thorough knowledge, experience, and the benefits to others. The tenets of the Capstone are as follows: it is an extension of the School’s mission statement, it is student driven rather than teacher directed, and it is juried by a panel of professionals. It provides an opportunity for the student to build self-confidence, self-motivation, autonomy, selfreliance, and develop an appreciation of the potential of the human mind and spirit.
The Capstone Project represents an opportunity for students to explore in detail a particular topic of interest to them. It is designed to be an original, creative investigation leading to new insights, conclusions, and recommendations appropriate to the topic. It also serves to provide experience in designing and carrying out such an investigation and preparing a formal, technical research paper and presentation describing the investigation and its results. It is a framework for experiential learning, designed to involve students in new and varied roles. The emphasis is on learning by engaging in real tasks that have authentic consequences and then reflecting on these experiences over time.
The service component is often the most transforming for the individual student. It has the potential to nurture and mold a global citizen. It entails building links with individuals or groups in the local, national, or international community. Service activities should not only involve performing tasks for others but also developing a genuine commitment to them, thereby showing deference for the dignity and self-respect of others.
This project aims to guide students toward developing an appreciation and awareness of humanitarian issues around the world; a
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Capstone Project
Student Guide
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Overview
Every student at Village Academy is required to complete a four-year Capstone Project which culminates in a documented research project that demonstrates thorough knowledge, experience, and the benefits to others. The tenets of the Capstone are as follows: it is an extension of the School’s mission statement, it is student driven rather than teacher directed, and it is juried by a panel of professionals. It provides an opportunity for the student to build self-confidence, self-motivation, autonomy, selfreliance, and develop an appreciation of the potential of the human mind and spirit.
The Capstone Project represents an opportunity for students to explore in detail a particular topic of interest to them. It is designed to be an original, creative investigation leading to new insights, conclusions, and recommendations appropriate to the topic. It also serves to provide experience in designing and carrying out such an investigation and preparing a formal, technical research paper and presentation describing the investigation and its results. It is a framework for experiential learning, designed to involve students in new and varied roles. The emphasis is on learning by engaging in real tasks that have authentic consequences and then reflecting on these experiences over time.
The service component is often the most transforming for the individual student. It has the potential to nurture and mold a global citizen. It entails building links with individuals or groups in the local, national, or international community. Service activities should not only involve performing tasks for others but also developing a genuine commitment to them, thereby showing deference for the dignity and self-respect of others.
This project aims to guide students toward developing an appreciation and awareness of humanitarian issues around the world; a