AP Capstone
What is AP Capstone?
AP Capstone is a two-year program (AP Seminar and AP Research) designed to help students compile their academic skills, learned in various fields and academics, into comprehensive research. Students who complete and pass these capstone classes, as well as 4 other AP classes, receive the AP Capstone diploma (a rival to the IB diploma) recognized by colleges. With this format, the students have a "choose your own adventure" approach to what AP classes they want to focus on.
AP Research entails students learning what true research is and then generating original research. They study research ethics and go through an IRB (institutional review board) process before implementing a research method and analysing the results. The students put their findings together in a 5,000-word (roughly 20-page) paper and present and defend their findings to a panel of people in a 20-minute presentation. Their work is truly impressive. It is almost like completing a "mini masters."
The student receive support along the way and can research the topic of their choice, which really helps them engage in the process. Former EHS AP Capstone Alumni have stated that they were a step ahead of their college peers with the skills learned from this program. The best part is, the students have fun doing it!
Here are some examples of what the students are researching and the skills they have acquired in this class.
