Arlington Tech Capstone - Arlington Career Center

Purpose & Vision

Arlington Tech’s Capstone is the culmination of an Arlington Tech student’s cross-curricular, project-based learning and career development. Capstone Experience provides the student a gateway to apply and to advance their knowledge, technical expertise, and research skills learned in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses within an authentic real world setting.

An Integrated Approach

Preparation for the Capstone starts in the 9th grade and continues to build up to the 12th grade:

9th Grade – The Foundation	10th Grade – Exploration	11th Grade – Preparation	12th Grade – Capstone
Students enroll in foundational Career & Technical Education courses and establish an understanding of Project Based Learning.	Students begin to narrow down their CTE pathway and periodically participate in work-based learning coordinated activities (example: Career Fairs, Informational Interviews)	Students participate in regular workshops and start meetings with the Capstone Coordinator to build their skills and find a Capstone partner mentor	Students complete a year-long work-based learning experience and participate in monthly Capstone seminar meetings. Students share their experiences through a mid-year and end-of-year presentation

The Capstone*

In the 12th grade year, students complete a 280 hour experience in one or a combination of the areas below:

Intern*	Project Consultant	Principal Investigator
Student works directly with a mentor supervisor at a job site Student maintains daily responsibilities and integrates as an employee / team member	A company or client “hires” the student to provide a good or service The scope / parameters of work, how frequently the student reports to the company / client, are defined in consultancy	Student develops their own research question and research proposal in accordance to ISEF guidelines Student works collaboratively with a partner at a university, laboratory, or professional organization Student writes a final thesis

Requirements of All Opportunities

Capstone placement is connected to a student selected CTE pathway
Opportunity may be paid or unpaid
Partnership agreement form is signed and in place before the start of the experience
Student keeps a monthly log of their hours, which is verified by their partner mentor monthly
Students set goals and are evaluated regularly, at least quarterly
Student earns one elective credit for every 280 hours that they work*
- Up to 140 hours can be applied from summer if a work agreement is in place
Student receives support from the Capstone Coordinator (APS employee) and partner mentor (APS or non APS staff)
Capstone ends in a culminating presentation where students showcase the work they have done over the year