AP Capstone is a new program currently being introduced to Malden High School that is recommended for students looking to challenge themselves academically. The branch of AP Capstone, taught by Jennifer Clapp, at MHS is AP Seminar. The course is related to International Baccalaureate (I.B.), a non-profit educational foundation. “Though AP Capstone is new, we are not sure what it means for college,” expressed Clapp.
The course is a program for students to be eligible for a Capstone diploma, and in order to take the class a student must have taken and passed four AP classes. In addition, they must have taken and passed four AP Seminar and AP Research. Though the course is available to juniors and seniors, next year, juniors who are in AP Seminar will be applicable for AP Capstone.
AP Capstone consists of multiple subjects and is said to be “a course for students who would like to challenge themselves and are academically curious” mentioned Clapp. Next year, AP Research, another branch of AP Capstone, will be offered, though it is uncertain as to who will be teaching the course. Sophomores will have the opportunity to take the course next year as well.
This year, AP Seminar is focused around disease where students research and analyze disease through different lenses. Aside from the usual papers assigned in English classes, AP Seminar also requires students to do frequent presentations.
Junior Manel Soltani described the class as “like no other course [she’s] ever taken” because “there is more freedom in the topics [they] research.” Senior Terrica Dang mentioned that the class “relies on a lot of group work so it’s important to have good relationships with [her] classmates.” “[They] have already presented a few projects and [her] and [her] group have improved each time [they] do presentations.” This is an important part of the class as each student must do an individual and group presentation as part of the AP exam in the spring.
The AP Capstone course has a promising future here at MHS and is sure to attract more students in the future.
