Real. Relevant. Authentic.

Client Projects

CAPS Client Projects

As Profession-Based Learning is the highest form of experiential learning, client projects with industry partners are the “sweet spot” of authentic experiences for CAPS students. CAPS client projects integrate passionate, engaged students with real work, producing real deliverables.

Industry partners for client projects can be non-profit organizations, startups, small businesses, or large corporations.  Each of these institutions has needs that their organizations are unable to prioritize or satisfy – excellent opportunities for students to experience the real world while developing both technical and essential skills.

“Give students that 10th item on your to-do list; you never get to it but you never take it off.”  

— Clint Robinson, VP Black & Veatch

Client Project Examples

Sensory Chair

Dr. Stuart Jackson is a long-time mentor to the Blue Valley CAPS program in Overland Park, Kansas. Having an autistic son, and being aware of the clinical value of compressions (hugs) on the behavior of children, he devised the idea of designing a “hug machine” where anxious students could receive sensory pressure when needed. The Engineering strand developed several prototypes of the chair. Global Business students performed market research with parents and educators of autistic children. Teacher Education students determined best practices for positioning the chair in school classrooms. Medicine students provided research on the medical conditions and behaviors associated with the target market.

The result of the project was a final, manufactured chair that is now licensed and manufactured internationally.

3D Design

A student with an interest in civil engineering worked with a global design and architecture firm and created a 3D cross-section model of the expansion concept for the Los Angeles Coliseum. The model was scaled to precise fit on top of the professional plan sheet, giving an enhanced visual of the stadium during the proposal presentation.

School Board Boundary Data Analytics

When a school district had grown in size and needed to rebalance the board member boundaries to equalize representation, they enlisted a group of CAPS students to apply data analytics to large county databases and build a recommendation to be presented to the board. Their recommendation was approved unanimously.

Supreme Court Video Collateral 

A Kansas Supreme Court Justice leveraged a set of Digital Design CAPS Students in Topeka to build a video series explaining their role.

Main Street Market Research 

A city in Utah was struggling to determine its identity and theme for a revised main street project.  A group of CAPS students led a market research effort to determine a strategy.

Bank Logo and Tutorial Creation

A local bank wanted to combine the launch of a new branded debit card with a market plan to target high school students.  A team of students digitally designed the logo for the card and built an accompanying tutorial that promoted financial literacy.

3D Prototype for Biocode Password Protection Cover

A small local company needed a 3D generated prototype to use as a cover for a device to enable biocode password protection on any computer devise.  The prototype would serve as the specifications for mass production of the device.  A group of Engineering students built several prototypes and finally, one was used to model production.

Download this PDF on the Gerson Project at Blue Valley CAPS to see a client project integrating multiple strands.

You can find more examples of CAPS Client Projects and learn how to design these types of learning experiences in the Playbook Diving into Profession-Based Learning.