What are capstones, as distinct from internships?

Capstones are culminating experiences that demonstrate the story of a student’s learning and development through the lens of their passions and goals. They are extended and structured learning processes; students have autonomy in developing their product or experience in collaboration with educators, advisors, and mentors, in alignment with learning goals. In Innovation Career Pathways, capstones with the following characteristics may be developed to meet the 100-hour career immersion experience in lieu of an internship:

• They must include structured work readiness activities and work-based learning experiences outside the classroom; in a capstone specifically, this could include an individual or a group project focused on research, service learning, or related activity to serve as the “capstone project.”
• A capstone must be a course that becomes part of the students’ transcripts
• An advisor with industry sector knowledge must define, and guide the development of, the pathway – ideally, this advisor is an external partner.
• A well-developed rubric will govern students’ development of a high quality end product; successful products will be determined to meet or exceed minimums defined by the school and communicated clearly on the rubric.

More information on Capstone Projects may be found in the library of resources.