Skip To Main Content

Capstone

Question. Research. Explore. Share.Capstone is an experiential educational opportunity designed to provide our seniors with the platform to develop their intellectual curiosity as they delve into a topic of their choice through research and exploration.  As the culminating academic experience, Capstone affords every student the opportunity to practice research and presentation skills with guidance from a class advisor and mentoring from adults with expertise within the student's field of interest. 

Capstone is the type of experiential learning that can help students find a career path, pursue lifestyle practices, and develop interests and passions that last a lifetime.  Capstone prepares our students for college and the road ahead.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Capstone begins with a question.  Seniors take a topic, an interest, a passion and design a substantive question that's worth exploring. Essential questions launch a year of intellectual growth, with the rest of the course spent conducting research, engaging with experts, and leading immersive real-world learning in the pursuit of finding answers. 

See The Class of 2023's Essential Questions

MARCH EXPERIENCES

Students bring their learning to life during their March Experience.  Following preliminary research and outreach to experts, students design a multi-day experiential learning immersion to further explore their essential question in a practical, real-life setting. March Experiences has taken learning across the country and world, from local ecosystems and NASA training facilities to farms in Thailand and refugee camps in Europe. 

COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS

After a year of research, outreach to experts, and an impactful March Experience, seniors spend the spring preparing for their community presentations, where they present their findings to their peers. Seniors – now versed in public speaking – proudly deliver a year's worth of learning and analysis to the community. These presentations serve as an exciting intellectual celebration in the life of the school.

See The 2022 Schedule of Community Presentations

BEYOND CAPSTONE

Kathy Liech '18

Founder, Girls Pride

Kathy’s Capstone sparked her desire to found Girls Pride, a non-profit organization based in Northern Kenya that raises awareness, provides support for, and educates and empowers women in the eradication of female genital mutilation. What began as an essential question nurtured in the classrooms on this campus has turned into a cause with a profound mission and impact.

Nick Stoico '11

Journalist, Boston Globe

"I always had an interest in journalism, but it was my experience working on my senior thesis that led me straight into this career. I set out to travel around the eastern half of the US and tell the stories of people I met along the way. It was an invaluable experience in shoe-leather reporting. When I returned home, I knew this was the work I wanted to pursue in college and beyond."

Explore More!

Take the Next Step

Is Holderness right for you? The best way to find the right boarding school is to reach out. Check us out in person in New Hampshire or virtually. See why Holderness is more than a school, it's an elevated experience.