Capstone Passion Project: Empowering Students to Contribute Their Passions to Their Community
Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.
– Oprah Winfrey
INTRO
During a Crowdsource Coffee on February 8, 2023, Chris McAdoo, Principal at Santa Fe South Pathways Middle College, shared this high school capstone passion project with the group. This schoolwide capstone passion project spans all four years of high school. It places students and their personal passions front and center and culminates with them connecting with and contributing to their communities in positive, authentic, and lasting ways while acquiring and applying academic and 21st-century skills.
OBJECTIVES
- Review this passion project’s guidelines (as well as those in the additional resources) and reflect on what (capstone) projects exist at your school (if any)
- Brainstorm and begin planning implementation for schoolwide capstone project ideas for your own school (maybe you just need to revamp or expand existing projects, maybe you need to start from scratch)
GUIDING PRINCIPLES & PURPOSE
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How can you use your interests, curiosities, and passions to contribute to your community and better yourself?
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING
- When we use our talents, passions, and curiosities to serve our community, we can make a major impact and contribution to better the world.
- Effective writing and literacy skills are needed in all of our pursuits, whether or not they have to do with traditional literature or formal essay-writing.
- Effective writing and speaking strategies are the backbone for all communications and improve our professional as well as academic lives.
OVERVIEW
- ALL students select their passion project topic/idea to address the essential question at the start of their 9th grade year
- They are able to change their mind throughout their high school tenure, but their final project must still be completed and presented their senior year
- Students are provided school/class time to work on their project over the course of their four years of high school, but the project also requires additional time and effort (this is something students need to consider when selecting their passion project idea)
- The school helps guide and support students as well as help them make community connections, but the projects are otherwise fully student-driven and students must problem-solve and overcome challenges independently as well
- Students compile their project process and progress (with the goal being some culminating event, product, impact, etc.) into a presentation that they deliver their senior year.
TIPS
- Link up and partner with other schools to do this work together. Communicate beyond our own buildings.
- Example Passion Project: A student took his love of cars to plan, organize, and run a community charity car show.
Responses