Canyons Technical Education Center students in the Center for Advanced Professional Studies program typically look forward to the end of the semester.
Not because their course is over, but because they can showcase their project-based learning with local business and education leaders, said David Smith, CTEC’s business leadership and CAPS facilitator.
“The CAPS program is a nationally recognized program where students are immersed in a professional culture, solving real-world problems, creating a business or developing tools and materials that are needed by actual employers while earning credit,” he said. “CAPS shows how businesses and education can work together to provide individualized learning experiences while educating students in skills to fill high-demand jobs in the business world. It’s an innovative and collaborative approach to education.”
It comes about through partnerships with local businesses.
“Professionals partner and mentor our students and share with them the best practices and tools of the field. Students learn creative thinking and problem-solving while gaining real-world experience, which will give them an advantage when entering the field,” he said.
CTEC Principal Doug Hallenbeck said when students work directly with professionals, “it’s an important piece. Oftentimes, people say business partnerships and it can be looking for money, but not in this case. With this program, the key is time for mentoring — to have the industry professional work directly with the students on the projects is the key element.”
New to CTEC last year, students’ projects have included projects from the League of Women Voters to Larkin Mortuary or creating their own businesses. They’ve worked to develop their business skills on a variety of businesses from medical grade socks and athleticwear to custom leatherworks, trophies and car detailing.
“After hearing companies pitch their projects, often students work in small groups with a mentor. They’ll work on the project and gain experience while providing a service to the company,” he said. “We’ve provided services to other programs and they’ve used skills to start their own businesses.”
Canyons School District Director of Career and Technical Education Janet Goble appreciates the hands-on learning.
“The premise behind this is that students are doing projects for actual industry people; it’s giving them business and entrepreneurial skills,” she said. “They also are developing innovative thinking and communication skills, developing latest marketing technologies and strategies while learning best practices for businesses.”
The program is open to 50 high school juniors and seniors each term.
“The program is beneficial for any student, certainly any in the technical education field,” Smith said. “I teach some business and marketing aspects in the first part of class so business classes as a prerequisite aren’t necessary. This gives students a chance to be empowered in their own education, to learn hands-on for a real business or develop their own and evaluate if this is the way of their future all while learning important skills that are valuable in any field.”
Future students also attend the showcase to learn more about the CAPS program, he added.
“They take that invitation to meet students who have done projects and ask me questions about projects. It’s an amazing opportunity where they can learn more about the program, meet mentors and business and educational leaders and start that networking piece of the program,” Smith said.
Hallenbeck said the student-led project learning model already has proven to be successful.
“We started the CAPS model with business leadership and hope to expand CAPS to other strands, which could be the building construction or 3D multimedia or whatever students can do along with their regular learning,” he said. “It’s a great learning model that’s beneficial to students.”
The original article in The City Journals can be found here.
