Academics
Upper School
Capstone Program
The Capstone Program offers students the opportunity to engage in a culminating project that will demonstrate their knowledge, learning and growth through the completion of a collaborative and multifaceted project.
As part of Athens Academy’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, the administration and faculty discussed different ways to prepare students for the ever-changing landscape of the future. One of the goals that emerged from this process reads: “Continue to exemplify excellence in teaching and learning through curriculum innovation and professional learning opportunities for faculty by developing student-led capstone projects in each division, including internships and mentoring opportunities in the Upper School, to enable students to apply and explore concepts they have learned while also strengthening community connections.”
As they prepared for the 2022-23 school year, Capstone Advisors Nikki Chester, Kate Towery, and Allison Turney outlined their goals for the new program: “In keeping with the mission of Athens Academy and to foster the academic excellence and personal characteristics of an Athens Academy graduate, the Capstone Program offers students the opportunity to engage in a culminating project that will demonstrate their knowledge, learning and growth through the completion of a collaborative and multifaceted project.”
Students have the opportunity to apply to the Capstone Program during the spring of their sophomore year. Students work closely with their Capstone advisors and mentors to identify a project, track progress towards completion and ultimately, present and defend their project to the Capstone Advisory Committee. Defense of the Capstone Project occurs during the senior year in high school. A successful defense represents a substantial body of work, will be a highlight for the collegiate application process, and will, most importantly, be a personal point of achievement and pride.
One of the main benefits of completing the Capstone Program is to give students a directed opportunity to explore an area of interest or passion that could potentially be an area of further study at the collegiate level. Additionally, engagement in the project will organically lead students to find experts and mentors in their particular field of interest. These relationships and opportunities to network will be invaluable to personal growth and future success.
By the spring of 2024, eight seniors from the inaugural cohort had successfully completed and presented their Capstone projects to the advisory committee, and all eight were awarded with the Capstone designation. In 2024-25, the sixteen members of the 2025 Capstone cohort are entering their final year of work in preparation for the defense of their project—with the 2026 group not far behind them.
Capstone 2024
List of 8 items.
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George Barkley
"Language & Culture Empower Globalization" -
Anvesha Das
“Closing the Gap: Fighting Insecurity and Embracing Failure” -
Tara Dolan
“The Circle of Language: Learning New Languages and Sharing My Own” -
Walter Hequembourg
“The Art of Craftsmanship” -
Margalit Mauricio
"Examining Athens Academy’s Water Quality through Fecal Coliform Sampling" -
Elizabeth Raeber
“A Writer’s Work” -
Neela Sudhagar
"The Impact of COVID-19 in Hospitals" -
Elijah Sultan
“How I Made a Language”
Athens Academy
Athens Academy is an independent, co-educational school for students in K3 through 12th grade, located on a beautiful 152-acre campus in Northeast Georgia. For over 50 years, Athens Academy has pursued its mission of Excellence with Honor through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership.
