What is the Capstone class at AGS?
As a final component of their time at The Academy for Global Studies, students participate in the Capstone class which asks them to design and implement a major project that coordinates to ISSN’s four primary Global Leadership Performance Outcomes. Student projects need to:
Investigate the world to produce new global knowledge
Recognize and weigh perspectives to apply cross-cultural understanding
Communicate ideas to connect and collaborate across boundaries
Take action to enact global solutions
Student project design and implementation takes a total of 9 weeks. If you have an idea for a project that you think will make our local, national or global community a little better and would like to submit your idea to the AGS Capstone class, please fill out the form below and one of our motivated students will tackle it.
You can find more information on the class and a full description of ISSN’s Global Leadership Performance at http://agscapstone.webs.com/
Capstone Project Ideas
Native Wildflower Seeding in Spicewood burn area
Contact Person: Joan ClabbyPhone: 858-228-7088
Email: spicewoodfirerelief@gmail.com
Location: Spicewood, TX
Description:
Many native wildflowers are food for deer and other wildlife who lost 10 miles of habitat in the fire. Teams could reseed some of the properties in the Spicewood burn area, and lift the spirits of animals and humans both! Seeded area need to be marked so all know not to mow that area.
Tree Planting in Spicewood fire area
Contact Person: Joan ClabbyPhone: 858-228-7088
Email: spicewoodfirerelief@gmail.com
Location: Spicewood, TX
Description:
10 square miles of trees where lost in the Spicewood fire this September. Some of the land was hillsides above springs, or above Lake Travis, where erosion in burn areas threatens the water supply. Drought tolerant native trees are needed to help hold the soil in place. Call or email if this is a project you would like to take on. It would be great to get a team of people out here, perhaps with donated trees.
Pease Elementary Project Initiatives
Contact Person: Amada YbarraPhone: (512) 414-4428
Email: ajybarra@aol.com
Location: Pease Elementary
Description:
Pease Elementary is looking to have people create a historical mural outside their building. There are numerous project that they are trying to do around their building,and could use some help with volunteers, supplies, and funds. This may be an opportnitty for a student to plan, fundraise, and recruit volunteers to help them with their projects.
Please contact the President of the PTA via email.
If you have other questions, see Ms. Miller in room 202.
The Pencil Project
Contact Person: douglas rhodenbaughPhone: 512-414-1995
Email: drhodenb@austinisd.org
Location: Room 314
Description:
This 501(c)3 non-profit gathers and ships used school supplies to help indigenous Mayan children in Guatemala attend classes. Donor schools/individuals participate in Service Learning by studying topics in Central American Culture, (poverty, child labor, indigenous politics, pre-Columbian history, etc.) then collect the school supplies that will significantly impact the lives of students in these rural Guatemalan schools. In many areas, children cannot attend school without supplies, and are exploited as farm or factory workers. This non-profit is also a registered vendor with the District, if the volunteers decide to do fundraising to ship the supplies that they collect.
Tutoring 9th graders
Contact Person: Katie HolbrookPhone: 512-841-2009
Email: katie.holbrook@austinisd.org
Location: 317
Description:
Many of my 9th grade (and sometimes even 10th grade) students need help with with their courses. This is help that a senior with strong academic record could provide. Perhaps a group could organize a system where 9th graders are matched with a senior tutor who could help them before school, during lunch, or after school (or even during an off period - I teach AVID during the day). Perhaps some of the Teen Leadership teachers could get involved as well?
Extreme Couponing
Contact Person: Kelly WroblewskiPhone:
Email: kwroblew@austinisd.org
Location: Room 180
Description:
There is a TV show called Extreme Couponing. Essential, people collect massive amounts of coupons, and compare coupon values to store sales to pick the perfect time to get as many things for free as they can. There are some people who do this,and donate items they get to charity. Given the current need to food and supplies for fire disaster relief, this could be a way to get quality materials to people in need right now. I would recommend watching an episode of the show to see the potential impact one person can have. This is also a relatively "math of money" intensive endeavor, so the potential learning gained while performing this service is pretty high.
Post High School Volunteer
Contact Person: Rebecca MateerPhone: 512-841-1969
Email: rmateer@austinisd.org
Location: College and Career Center
Description:
Local and global volunteer opportunities are available for young adults, but a lot of students don't know the details of them. If students want to take a year before or after college to volunteer, it would be cool to have a resource in the college and career center.
Fire Danger Warning Signs
Contact Person:Phone:
Email:
Location: All around Austin (or Downtown area)
Description:
It might be nice to have the students create signs that could be posted all around the city reminding drivers and pedestrians not to throw out lit cigarrette buts or other flammable items (I've seen several drivers do this recently even after the wildfire news). This might require city approval and the signs would probably have to be more than just paper-based to withstand the weathering they will endure. Perhaps the city might be interested in contributing funding for this project? Just thought it would be an interesting idea to get the awareness out there for the extreme wildfire danger.
Seeking Partners
Submit an Idea
Do you have an idea, or need for a Capstone Project that a student might select?
Do you need a partner for a project you’d like to do?
Please fill out the form below and it will automatically create a listing on this page for students to select your project idea to fulfill the Capstone requirement. Likewise, if you are seeking a partner to help you with an idea that you already have, fill out the form below to create a listing on this page.