Capstone Projects - S.T.E.P. Class of 2005

View this year's capstone projects

When, in the fall of 2000 the staff of S.T.E.P. began exploring a method of showcasing the products of New York Medical College S.T.E.P. student learning, we decided that the process was just as important as the product. We brainstormed our way into The Electronic Portfolio project as a vehicle that would be useful not only to journal our students growth but would also be something that the students themselves could continue to use in many ways.

Not only would this reflection help to marshal their ideas for their college and scholarship application essays, they could also use this portfolio to continue to measure their growth after entering college and beyond. It would also be an illustrated resume that they could direct others to when it was necessary to have someone become acquainted with their work on a less superficial level.

The Electronic Portfolio has now evolved into The Capstone Project and is based on the project as designed by Kalamazoo College. We have liberally borrowed their Five Dimensions of Educational Growth because they seem to match perfectly the values that we have been teaching the students of S.T.E.P. The Class of 2005 have been asked to be the first class in five years to present the Capstone Project for graduation and we are still ironing out some creases. However, the nine seniors bravely took on the challenge of reflection and synthesis that we believe should be essential tools in measuring their academic and intellectual accomplishments.

THE S.T.E.P. SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

THE FIVE DIMENSIONS OF EDUCATIONAL GROWTH
(Adapted from Kalamazoo College Portfolio Project)

1. Lifelong learning is the passion for exploring new ideas through sustained interest and engagement with the liberal arts and sciences. It also involves the rich reflection on ever-changing experiences that such engagement affords. One goal of formal education, in short, should be an eager curiosity and the skills and knowledge that will give direction to that curiosity.

2. Career readiness includes hands-on explorations-through internships, externships, projects and other experiences based on the student's combination of interests, values, and capabilities. These explorations help the student form career goals that have high potential for providing career satisfaction and fulfillment.

3. Intercultural understanding is an awareness of the different ways that people experience and organize the world and an openness to learning from those who differ from one's own self and culture. By studying and experiencing other cultures, students expand their consideration of events, ideas, and beliefs beyond the filter of their own culture.

4. Social responsibility is a commitment to community service and a willingness to take on roles for the common good. By voluntarily accepting responsibilities that transcend individual self-interest, students learn that contributions to community well-being go hand in hand with individual growth.

5. Leadership is the ability to envision new possibilities and the capacity to motivate, organize, and empower oneself and others to achieve those possibilities. In its most effective form, leadership springs from democratic principles, such as the free consent of others, and therefore requires skills such as listening, engaging in effective dialogue, and consensus building.

The S.T.E.P. Class of 2005 Capstone Projects*

Ahjohn, Avyonne	View the project
Gardner, Christopher	View the project
Gentry, Christopher	View the project
Isles, Ashley	View the project
Mulakkal, Stephen	View the project
Pereira, Caesar	View the project
Wills, Charaun	View the project
Williams, Netasha	View the project
Wynter, Chantal	View the project

*PDF format