Mia Cho
Staff Writer
College Board’s Advanced Placement Capstone program uses a cross-curricular approach and is designed to develop critical thinking skills for the students who participate. At Costa, Capstone is divided into two classes: AP Seminar and AP Research, which are taken over the course of two years. English teacher Stacy Cabrera teaches the program in a series of after school classes. This elective class should be encouraged as students benefit from a multitude of opportunities that are outside of their core classes.
Even though this program is not offered at most high schools, it is beneficial in aiding the development of skills that are often neglected in required courses. AP Research teaches students how to research constructively, write and gain important skills for the future. Students choose a topic to explore and then present later in the semester. Each year, the AP Seminar class focuses on a specific theme. This year, students researched about the ethics behind important issues in America, such as physician-assisted suicide. Next year, the theme for AP Seminar will be social and restorative justice. The multidimensional aspect of the class prevents students from feeling limited to using only skills taught in the individual class, Cabrera said. Considering this aspect of learning is not extensively taught in core classes, AP Capstone gives students the opportunity to grow.
The program also helps students build relationships with mentors and advisors. When students choose their topics for their research papers, they often need the assistance of a secondary advisor who specializes in the topic of choice. Cabrera is working on building a relationship with professors at the University of California, Los Angeles in order to help students establish professional relationships with experts within their area of interest. This is beneficial for students who are passionate about subjects not offered as classes at Costa.
Students are encouraged to submit their work for academic writing contests, scholarships and professional publications. This gives students an advantage, considering they are provided with an opportunity to navigate their way through a professional environment. In addition, successful completion of both AP Seminar and AP Research allows students to be eligible for awards from the College Board. Students who successfully complete the course with a score of 3 or higher on the AP exam receive the AP Seminar and AP Research Certificate. The AP Capstone Diploma is awarded to students who receive at least a 3 on both the AP Seminar and Research AP exams, as well as four other AP exams of their choosing.
Although it may not be a widely offered course throughout the country, AP Capstone offers many opportunities that only serve to benefit Costa students. AP Capstone should be kept as an elective class at Costa as it allows for students to explore current issues in the real world.
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