We lead collaboratively, give and receive openly, develop relationships, and strive to be inclusive.
Our Beliefs
Mindset
Capstone cultivates students’ stamina for problem solving and creative critical thinking by providing opportunities and tools to engage with an ever-changing world.
Agency
Capstone encourages relationships with depth by positioning the student as the driver of their own learning.
Learning
Capstone embraces learning in which students acquire the particular skills and knowledge that are relevant to their passions, curiosities, and learning journey.
Culture
Capstone contributes to a school culture where students inspire each other emotionally, creatively, and intellectually.
Access
Capstone values the wonderings of all students, regardless of personal identity, life experience, or access to resources.
Our Values
Lead collaboratively
We are run by educators, for educators. Everyone, whether only having a small curiosity about capstone or having run a program for decades, has a seat at the table. We listen to the successes and failures of our peers.
Give and receive openly
We use and distribute each other's materials in a responsible way in order to make current expertise accessible. Content is user-generated and freely distributed.
Develop relationships
We engage in messy work that necessitates exchanges based on meaningful friendship and conversation. We honor each voice through authentic person-to-person connection.
Strive to be inclusive
We design processes that seek out and give space to the voices of diverse lived experiences. Increasing accessibility is at the center of how we operationalize.
Mission
Connecting vision with experience by supporting peer-to-peer collaboration between Capstone educators at all K-12 schools
By its nature capstone learning centers the lived experience of the students and teachers who participate. As a consortium we commit to learning from and amplifying a diversity of voices. We are focused on striving to improve through constant refinement of our organizational practices.
The core values of the National Capstone Consortium have been generated collaboratively since the original summit report in 2013. More recently an externally facilitated process led to the articulation of the above beliefs and values.
Meet Our Team
We are a peer-to-peer network guided by a passionate group of leaders who serve the mission of the consortium. Get to know the people behind the National Capstone Consortium.
Join Our Team
Participation is key to helping the consortium grow and carry out our mission to support educators at all K-12 schools. If you have a passion for capstone learning and are interested in increasing your collaborative capacity, please email us at capstone@capstoneconsoritum.org.
Our Schools
Through participation via our annual summit and online network, our consortium has grown to over 30 different schools. Teachers, administrations, and program directors at each school have helped contribute to expanding expertise in all things capstone. Learn more about what schools have joined us along the way.
Click the button below to meet our spotlight schools
Our Beginning
With the generous support of an E. E. Ford Foundation Educational Leadership Grant, the National Capstone Consortium was established in 2012 to provide support for capstone education. The group’s inaugural Summer Summit was held in June 2013 at the Thacher School in Ojai, California. Through lively discussions, presentations, and workshops, participants produced materials in hopes of encouraging, supporting, and nurturing capstone programs at all types of schools throughout the country. In addition to hosting the annual Summits, the Consortium remains an active community, supporting capstone education and teachers throughout the school year.
The National Capstone Consortium is a subsidiary of Cortina Education Group Limited
Cortina provides the strands of connection, financial sponsorship, and organizational support for professional networks of K-12 educators that: are interdisciplinary; include diversity of experience; promote student agency; and collaborate to share free resources and ideas