BFCCPS 8th Grade Capstone Projects – Students Drive Positive Change
Lara Liedtke, of Millville, presents her Capstone project, which raised money for Space2Thrive, helping to provide equipment to Volt Hockey athletes.
By Jennifer Russo
Each year, eighth grade students at the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School (BFCCPS) are tasked with taking on a capstone project that combines stepping up to make a difference in their community with a greater understanding of the real-world skills they need to learn in order to research, problem-solve and collaborate.
The name “capstone” comes from an architectural term which refers to the final piece of an archway…the “crowning achievement” that completes the structure and enables it to bear weight. For the students, the capstone project demonstrates their work and the experience that they have gained.
Colin Barrows, of Bellingham, shares the results of his Capstone, which benefited the Conanicut Island Sailing Foundation.
In seventh grade, the students are given the opportunity to choose the non-profit organization that they would like to support and work throughout their last two years of middle school to plan ways to create a meaningful contribution for the cause they chose. In February, the students presented their work to an audience of fellow students, teachers and family members - sharing more about the charity’s mission, their overall plans, the work they did to support them, obstacles they ran into, and personal goals they had for themselves during the course of the project.
Charitable organizations chosen by the students covered a number of worthy causes, including food pantries, animal shelters, adaptive sports programs, environmental initiatives, STEM education, substance abuse centers, domestic violence outreach, homelessness initiatives, various health organizations, and more. The students ran item collections, hosted student events to raise funding, cleaned litter, participated in farmers booths, and volunteered in different ways to help raise awareness.
“The community service pillar of our school is a key part of our unique mission. By doing the work to make a difference in their communities, students set off a chain reaction with positive impacts that can play out for years, or even a lifetime. Through the capstone projects, we aim for the students to grow as people but also hope that when they reflect back on the work they did, it will guide them in continuing to be a force for good in the world,” shares Joseph Perna, Head of School.
