The North Park Senior Capstone Project was started sometime in the 1990s by three teachers:  Mr. Beck (HS Social Studies), Mr. Landis (HS Science) and Ms. Houser (HS English).  These teachers wanted to challenge their students and give them a more real world experience to help prepare them for life after graduation.  Also, students would be out of the classroom and in the community.  Students would be pushed outside of their comfort levels while showing the skills they had learned while in school.  

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To begin with, the senior project was incorporated into the Government class instructed by Mr. Beck; this was the most logical placement because all seniors had to take Government to graduate.  The senior project was used as their second semester final.  The initial requirements were 30 hours of documented work outside of school hours, a 15 page research paper and a final community presentation. Eventually, the research paper was eliminated and additional project hours and home visits were added.   

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At first there was a lot of push back from the students and their parents, but the teachers and school stuck to it.  And as Mr. Beck states " I think the aspect that got us over the top was that the project was not assigned by us but was student driven giving them the opportunity to go in the direction they chose.  I don't think we believed it last beyond our tenure at NPHS and I congratulate you all for taking on a job that was generated by someone else."

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