After months of planning, research and collaboration, junior capstone projects are finally coming to a close as students prepare to present work that has developed over the course of the entire school year.
The juniors have been working on these assignments all year long: choosing a topic they are interested in, spending the school year researching and creating their projects and often working with outside organizations to produce a final product.
The process began when students formed groups, selected topics and outlined initial ideas that continued to evolve over time. For many groups, the project required ongoing communication, organization and flexibility as plans shifted throughout the year.
One of the biggest challenges students faced was time management. Balancing capstone work with classes, sports and other commitments was often a conflict. Several groups also ran into difficulties contacting outside organizations or individuals, especially when responses were delayed or unclear.
Among this year’s projects was one created by Alexis Anderson, Cadence Goblirsch and Riley Blum, juniors who wrote an ebook featuring the life stories of elderly individuals. The project included an introduction addressing ageism and the importance of learning from older generations and a conclusion encouraging readers to engage more intentionally with elders in their own lives.
“It was definitely a lot of work creating this ebook, but it was so fulfilling to finish it, and I’m really proud of the result. I loved hearing each interviewee’s story, and I feel like I learned a lot just by talking to them,” shares Anderson. “We received a lot of feedback, and our project even inspired some people to ask the questions we wrote to others in their own lives. Overall, I’m really proud of this project and the impact it had on people in our community.”
Another group, Gabriella Colorado, Emily Weisman and Sammy Kakala, focused on raising awareness around the Special Olympics and the experiences of athletes with disabilities. Their project included planning an accessible sports clinic in partnership with Special Olympics, which they will host in the future, aimed at creating a more inclusive environment for participants of all abilities.
“We were really excited about designing this fun and diverse clinic, but we did run into a few challenges, such as liability concerns that we were not completely aware of before, causing us to delay our event. But we are planning to address this issue by speaking to Mrs. Essalat and setting a date in the near future,” explains Weisman.
Maddie Slocum and Maddi Bauer explored the impact of artificial intelligence on employment. Their project looked at issues such as job security, fair hiring practices and equal opportunity in a workforce increasingly shaped by AI. They presented their research through a slideshow and video to educate others on the topic.
“Our project is important to us because, as upcoming adults, we will be needing to figure out what path we want to go down in college, and it is very important now that we look into the careers that are harder for AI to take over,” says Slocum.
Samantha Kirkpatrick and Caylee Pickham created a letter template designed to help students write to lawmakers and policymakers. Their project also included a poster with resources for contacting officials and learning how to advocate for issues they care about.
“I feel like we’re not just speaking out and bringing awareness for children who are negatively impacted by budget cuts and unable to receive food in schools, but we’re also helping teenagers be confident in their voice to speak out about any issues they care about,” says Pickham.
Students presented their projects in class on April 15 and will have a larger-scale showcase on April 28, where final projects will be displayed.
While each capstone focuses on a different topic, all of the projects reflect months of work, problem-solving and adjustment. The capstone process highlights not just the final product, but the experience of developing an idea over time and seeing it through to completion.
