Curriculum Detail
Capstone
In order to foster rich, authentic and creative achievement in our students, CSW instituted a senior Capstone Project. Every senior is required to complete a project that demonstrates what he or she can do at the culmination of a CSW education. Seniors concentrate on an area of interest, explore it in depth from different perspectives and present their understanding to others in a number of different ways.
The Capstone Project builds upon and makes connections within our module system and provides opportunities to connect our own activities and interests to the wider community. Perhaps most importantly, the Capstone Project allows us to better celebrate our students’ interests and accomplishments as individual learners.
Each student is matched with a Capstone advisor at the end of his or her junior year. Students will pursue their projects over the course of their senior year, conferring with their Capstone advisor on a weekly basis, meeting various deadlines and keeping ongoing journal of their work as a complete and thorough record of their progress.
The projects culminates in an independent Capstone block in Mod 4, 5, or 6, during which seniors complete their projects, including a written component of at least six pages, and a two-page personal statement about process and growth, and present it.
Two members of the Capstone Committee, one of whom is that student’s Capstone advisor, will evaluate each Capstone Project: the written component and, where appropriate, the physical project, and the presentation. Seniors must pass each requirement in order to graduate.
Schedule:
Mod 6: Juniors choose Capstone block and are paired with Capstone advisor.Mod 1: Seniors meet with Capstone advisors, submit a prospectus and begin journal.Mod 2: Seniors meet with Capstone advisor, submit a list of resources and continue journal.Mod 3: Seniors meet with Capstone advisors, submit a detailed timeline and continue journal.Mod 4: Seniors complete and present Capstone projects.Mod 5: Seniors complete and present Capstone projects.Mod 6: Seniors complete and present Capstone projects.
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CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.