Middleton High School’s Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) program hosted a showcase at the Madison Public Library on May 28, where students presented recaps of their semester-long projects to business leaders, MCPASD teachers and administrators, and parents.
The CAPS program immerses students in a professional environment to tackle real-world problems under the guidance of experienced mentors. This semester, 26 CAPS students in two strands – Business Solutions and Introduction to Education and Teaching – worked with businesses including Books are Power, Conscious Carnivore, Marketini Media and Dane Buy Local, MCPASD Education Foundation, and Dark Sky Initiative.
The CAPS program is designed to have students take the lead. At the showcase, students and business owners discussed how this student-led approach is different from traditional classroom learning.
Bartlett Durand, business manager of Conscious Carnivore, said the CAPS program represents a “paradigm shift” for students since they work directly with business leaders instead of relying on their teachers for direction.
Durand asked the students he worked with to consider everything from branding to the store’s flow for their project. Middleton High School senior Colin Romine talked about visiting the store, meeting with Durand multiple times, and incorporating Durand’s feedback to adjust their project deliverables.
Students in the Introduction to Education and Teaching strand observed teachers in MCPASD schools, including Kromrey Middle School and Sauk Trail Elementary School. Their experience included gaining insight into what it’s like to be a teacher as well as mentorship opportunities.
For senior Sam Curry, his CAPS project also helped lead to a job. He will begin working for MCPASD as a paraeducator after graduation, starting at Sauk Trail Elementary School for the District’s Summer Academy program.
“Being able to work as a paraeducator is such a big stepping stone for me,” Curry said. “I'm able to use my observations from other teachers at the elementary schools we observed and modify and apply their techniques to fit me.”
Curry said his CAPS experience prepared him for the workforce by giving him real-world classroom leading experience.
“I would not have this opportunity if I wasn't in this class, and CAPS has helped me learn how to navigate a professional space and given me a closer look at the teacher's perspective,” Curry said. “It has given me enough experience to make me feel ready to take this step.”
Several other students in the Education and Teaching strand will join Curry as volunteers for MCPASD’s Summer Academy. They will provide reading and math support for Summer Academy students.
Another group of students in the Business Solutions strand – Izzy Frantz, Russell Hellmer and Roan Johnson – worked with the MCPASD Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering excellence within MCPASD. The team created social media posts and articles highlighting how the foundation supports MCPASD students, staff and schools.
"The foundation's work is centered around supporting students, and in this case, the students supported us,” said Christin Mlsna, vice president of Marketing & Communications for Findorff and an MCPASD Education Foundation board member. “It was incredibly rewarding to see them develop a deeper understanding of the needs within their own school community, while also helping us think in new ways about how to share our story and inspire support to reach even more students."
Learn more on the CAPS program’s website.