For those students looking to build a repertoire of professional skill sets prior to applying to colleges and universities, Connetquot High School is now offering a brand-new course, Advanced Placement Capstone, for the 2018-19 academic year.

According to the College Board, AP Capstone is a diploma-based program based on two yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research, the first of which being AP Seminar. These courses are designed to complement other AP courses that the AP Capstone student may take as well as enrich their diverse skill set. Instead of teaching specific subject knowledge, AP Seminar and AP Research use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management and presentation skills students need for college-level work.
With assistance from instructor Melissa Moynihan, the students are currently in the five-month span of their AP Capstone Seminar Exam, completing two parts in the classroom setting, whereas the final component will take place during AP finals week later this school year. During class time, the students brainstormed on topics they were interested in learning more about, and were then able to sample their selected topics amongst their peers. 

The selected topics included women’s rights, environmental concerns, immigration, mental illness, education and human rights. While breaking down these topics, the students were asked to address the points of interest, discuss further inquiries toward the topics and ultimately come to a consensus based on the information presented before them. Along the way, the students utilized multiple tools to assist with their research, including Google Chromebooks, collaboration boards and various texts.

Additionally, they were asked to write an analytical essay based on one chosen topic prior to showcasing a practice multimedia presentation discussing what they learned based on their discussions.

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