Capstone Project Proposal Draft

Name of student: Hailey Eliason Date: March 20th

Teacher: Ms. Browne Block: B

The Capstone strand I have chosen is Project Capstone.

Proposed title for my Project Proposal: (write the proposed title for your Capstone Project in one clear

sentence):

Knowledge about choosing the path towards post-secondary life and education.

What is your inquiry question that interests you for further research? It should be a question that
connects with a purpose, passion or personalized area of interest for you. This is a question that you
cannot just google an answer for. Please see examples from your Capstone booklet.
My inquiry question is:

How can the providence of knowledge, planning, and resources be effective in students’ decisions
to pursue further education after high school?

Sounds interesting!

Rationale/context: Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY you are
choosing to investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this area of inquiry connect to
your passion(s), purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you?

I chose to present this inquiry question as the aspect of my capstone project, because it relates to
my future aspirations of attending post-secondary immediately after graduating high school, but
also to my past experiences as a student trying to make a life-determining decision; Although I
have already chosen to attend a particular university, it has not been easy and convent to choose
my future in what feels like a very limited amount of time. Though we are fortunate to have
presentations and information delivered to us in grade 11 and 12, between myself, friends, and
peers I have communicated with, we still feel as if we do not understand a majority of all the
information thrown at us and how things work. I am passionate about pursuing teaching in the
future, while also having a deep interest for the subject of English. My hope with this Capstone
project, is that I am able to help future graduates with their decisions of post-secondary through my
personal experiences and others, those that are currently enrolled in post-secondary, to provide the
information and questions that I was searching for myself, while being able to squeeze in my
English interest by creating an article format.

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Background: What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in this area of
inquiry?

As a current high school student myself, I have taken a lot of time to do my research on
understanding the different university terms and how things operate, such as what degree do
undergraduates complete, what are the different degrees and how do they work chronologically,
etc.? Although my understanding may not be as sufficient as a current undergraduate, through
months of research that is still continuous, I feel that I have obtained a proficient level of
understandment. Aside from research however, another aspect of connection regarding this area of
inquiry includes a real-world connection of knowing few friends who currently attend university and
have told me of their experiences personally. For instance, I have a friend at my place of work who
is undergoing her second year of nursing and has communicated with me the layout of
assignments/projects and what it is like taking a program that involves a practicum.
Recently, I have completed a campus tour with a university I am planning to attend, so I could
experience an actual campus and escape only online research. Through doing this, I was able get
a feel of what university would be like and get insight from the students guides of their experiences.
I gained knowledge on valuable information, such as their application process, resources they’ve
used personally for applied help when they have struggled, and the importance of using the library
as a student- things I, and I’m sure others have wondered as well.

Career connections: What is your intended career area at this point in time? What connections
does this inquiry question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals?

My intended career is to become a secondary school teacher after I obtain my Bachelor of Arts
degree in English. The inquiry question I presented relates to my future academic goals by being
an aspect that I will soon experience. It acknowledges the factors that drive students and myself to
want to continue to post-secondary. To attend university or think about enrolling, I want to know
what I would be experiencing, the steps I need to be potentially accepted, and who I can go to for
help along the way. This inquiry question is meant to explore all the aspects of preparation for
university that I had been wondering for years and answer them in different ways- student
perspectives, research, QR codes. This project also connects to becoming a teacher, as if I teach
at a high school students will eventually be curious about post-secondary, especially if I teach a
senior grade. With my knowledge from answering this inquiry question, I would be able to efficiently
answer any of their questions and perhaps even use this project as a reference for my students in
the future.

Interdisciplinary and core competencies connections: What subject areas and core
competencies will be connected with your project? Outline and explain the connections.

The subject areas that will be connected with my project include English and journalism. English

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 will be incorporated through compiling paragraphs and information sections, creating sections
within the article that make readers follow and gain interest in the topics being discussed. English is
a fundamental part of an article, as it plays the role of keeping readers intrigued using specific
formats, hooks, tone, language, and eye-catching adjectives. Journalism will also be connected to
this project, as a large section of the article will include interviews with university students. A
majority of the interviews will be planned to be done in person, but for the universities further away,
the interviews will most likely be completed on a digital call. However, whether in-person or not, the
journalism skills of communication, well-stated questions, and confidence will have to be present on
order for these interviews to go well and be successful.
Core competencies that will be seen within this project include social responsibility, critical thinking,
creative thinking, and communication. Social responsibility will be demonstrated through building
relationships, as I will be doing this constantly through my interviews by gaining trust with the
participants to allow them to share their perspectives and advice with me. Critical thinking will be
involved through questioning and investigating, as I will be composing high-quality questions that
allow room for detailed responses during the interviews, that I will later be shaping and fitting into
the student-perspective section. Creative thinking will be connected in this project through novelty
and value, by creating topics that gain peoples interest and could change their current perspectives
into a more positive one such as continuing with their education. Lastly, communication will be
demonstrated in this project by reflecting on experiences and accomplishes throughout the process
of completing my Capstone, as I will constantly be looking back on my research and responses to
gain new information and insight that will be the backbone to the purpose of my article, which is to
help other students.

Capstone Presentation medium: select one or more project mediums you wish to use to present
your project. Outline and give details about how you will present your project once completed. You
may use a combination of mediums.
o Electronic portfolio: Prezi or o Website
PPT o imovie presentation
o Physical portfolio o YouTube channel

To present my Capstone project at the end of the semester, I will be using a combination of two
mediums which include a website (preferably Weebly) and Microsoft PowerPoint. The website will
be used as a base where PDF’s or screenshots of my article will be uploaded. I find this will be
easier to accomplish than placing the sections of my project on PowerPoint, because, as I plan to
use Canva to create my article, a website will allow room for larger images; I find that PPT is more
condensed and holds smaller margins. However, although PPT is not exactly complementary for
any uploaded images I plan to present of my Capstone project, it will be used for the titles and
smaller sentences of my process which I will mainly be presenting verbally. It will be providing
context as I talk for my audience to follow along, while also creating a clean and easy to read
structure.

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Description of my Capstone project. Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project: what will
you research, create, study, produce, solve, investigate? What product will be produced at the end
of this project for evaluation. Write a one-page description outlining your proposal.
For the structure of my Capstone project, I plan to create something similar to article. I emphasize
“similar” as it will not be structured as seriously as a news article or as personally opinionated as
blog post, but rather it will contain elements of an infographic with text bubbles and certain frames
especially in the interview section to make it more visually eye-catching; the article will contain
information sections based on research and student-perspectives. To elaborate, the information
sections will contain the following topics or similar, as they are questions I have thought are some
of the main aspects I have been worried or pondered about as a student: Admissions and Applying-
grades, extracurriculars, how to apply in B.C, general timeline, fees; The Universities of B.C- what
are the options, locations, acceptance rates, general costs (this is the section in which the interview
responses will follow); Scholarships- what are they, what are the options, how to apply, explanation
of general timelines; Campuses- cost, who are they eligible for, pros and cons of living on campus,
general housing layouts; College versus University- what are the differences, what colleges are in
B.C, how college to university transfers work, are there any benefits to transferring; Finance
Options- loans and the two main types, scholarship awards, out of pocket payments; University
Structure- how is it similar to high school and how is it different: will discuss aspects such as the
dogwood certificate of secondary school versus a degree from a post-secondary, semester
scheduling, teachers versus professors, classroom size and layout, and support systems in high
school versus university. These 7 subjects are what will be discussed as the main topics in this
article. In the beginning of the article a table of contents will be placed with these topics, so there
will be a clear structure to the article and advises the reader of what they will be gaining knowledge
regarding.
Moreover, I will now be discussing what I have been highlighting this entire proposal- the interview
section. The structure of these interviews will be done as 1 person per university. My goal is to
have as many interviews as universities I have descripted, to give readers a feel for the university
they are thinking of applying to or choose a university of interest. I will reach out to potential
candidates using different methods including reaching out on an online platform (social medias),
becoming involved in more campus tours and asking student guides or anyone willing, and/or
reaching out to people I already know such as co-workers, family friends or relatives that currently
attend a post-secondary. If I cannot manage a meeting in-person for a reason such as distance, I
will set up a Zoom or Teams meeting online. When meetings become arranged, I will have
prepared questions ready, and a notebook or recorder (depending on participants
preference/comfortability) to record answers. Questions will be the same for each interview and
follow along the lines of: what made you choose to attend [current university], what was your
application process like- any struggles, what was the largest transition you had to face going into
university from high school, what do you like about [current university], is there anything you would
change, what are the food options and your favorite place to get a meal at [current university], have
you engaged in any clubs or extracurriculars, do you live on or off campus and what is that like, and
what is any advice you should share for undergraduates? Each section will have the same design
of (if willing) a picture of the participant, a name, and their major(s). Under each small student
description will be the questions I asked and their responses (which may be edited slightly to fit the
section).
My research for this project will be of the 7 topics above. I will use sources such as JSTOR and
Google Scholar, university websites and/or their pamphlets for information specific to their school
such as fees and location, and in-person information such as a guidance counsellor in relation to
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 scholarships.

Resources/ Technology/Skills: Make an assessment of the resources, technology and skills you
will need to be able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to access/learn all of the
resources necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail your plans.

The resources that I need in order to complete this project include a means of transportation for
engaging in university tours and/or visiting a university for certain interviews, a site that is free to
use to produce my article that I have a basic understanding of the layout, and a way to reach out to
students of particular universities. To have access to transportation, I plan on asking my guardian
to provide me with a ride to and from the universities within our “reach” on days where I do not
have work and they are off early. If I plan to visit a school that is further or they cannot drive me, I
can access public transportation such as the bus or sky train, as there are normally certain routes
that arrive to or near a university location. To access a site to create my article, I plan to use
Canva, as it is free, easily accessible, and allows for many visual components. If something
happens to go wrong, I can always use Microsoft Word as it is accessible to me as well. To reach
out to students at universities further away, I plan on using a social media platform such as
Instagram or Facebook to view the followers/tagged students of the official school accounts, and
message students about who I am, what I am doing, and if they would be interested in participating
in an interview. Technology that I would need for this project is a device to record the audio
responses from interviews, a camera and app to do online meeting interviews, and a device to work
on Canva for my article. For a recording device, I can use my phone’s voice recording app as a
phone is packable and convenient, or I could also use my pocket-sized audio recorder which
serves the same purpose. For a camera and app to go through with online interviews, I have the
option of using Zoom or Teams, as they both allow access to the device’s camera and microphone.
Teams may only be accessible however if the interviewee has Microsoft Office 365 through their
school. As for a device to create my overall article on, I have access to a computer and an iPad.
Skills that are necessary to have successful interviews include communication skills both verbally
and written, a confident approach so I am trustable to the participant and make the interviews go
smoothly, creativity to develop well-made and valuable questions, and technical skills to proceed
with online interviews. To plan for my interviewing skills ahead of time, I will improve my
communication skills and confidence ability through practicing fake interviews with my friends to
ensure I am efficient during the actual interviews. I will also constantly revise and review my
questions, so they are effective, and make sure they leave room for fun and detailed responses
from the interviewee. Lastly, I will need to work on my technical skills the most, so there is no
trouble accessing Zoom or Team meetings when they are to be done. I will do this by leaving time
before each interview, at least 10 minutes, to ensure everything works properly (camera, mic,
audio) so there are no issues.

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Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections will you
need to help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help you? What is your
plan to access the mentorship/community connections necessary for this project?

Because I am basing my project on information about post-secondary, it would be wise to have a

mentor that is knowledgeable about the many factors surrounding the high school to post-
secondary transition and is familiar with the questions or wonders that they have heard before
many times through other students. Hence, I am planning for my mentor to be R.E Mountain’s
guidance counsellor because they are someone that I can access through Teams or in their office
and would be educated on the aspects surrounding university. A guidance counsellor will be
especially helpful in the topic of scholarships because they would have all the information of current
scholarships and know the general overview of applying for them. Another mentor that may be
helpful in terms of my project’s success, would be someone who is familiar with the layout of
articles and what catches viewer’s attention. Although I am not guaranteed a response like I would
with R.E Mountain’s guidance counsellor, I may be able to get some very valuable advice for
forming an article or similar format through actual article or magazine publishers. I could contact
Canadian publishers such as Macleans or The Province through email and explain that I am
completing a Capstone project while including my love for English, trying to create an article and
ask for general advice on article formatting and making it interesting for others to view.

Project limitations: What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you foresee that
might affect progress with your Capstone Project?

Potential obstacles that could very well affect the overall progress of my Capstone project could
include little or limited responses from the post-secondary students I contacted which would affect
allowing the interview section to be the highlight of the article that I wanted it to be. Another
limitation may include potential participants not feeling comfortable with doing an online meeting,
which could perhaps result in only responses in text form of the social media platform, disregarding
the whole idea of an actual, authentic interview. Regarding in-person university visits, a limitation
could include only being able to visit universities after school hours with me and my guardian’s
schedule, resulting in less students to request for an interview or worst-case scenario no students
around campus at all. A last obstacle could include no response from a national/local publishing
company mentor, which would mean losing out on the chance for extremely useful information and
advice.

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 Some final information that I may have not included in my one-page project description that is
important to add to the understanding of this project, is that not every university/college in B.C will
have a section in the article, such as some of those that are private or function differently outside of
the mainstream schools here in B.C. My goal in this article is to focus on the main schools to give a
general idea to the reader. Another important thing to mention is that at the end of the article I will
provide a references section of each university’s website, so that readers will have access to them
to gain more information about the schools than only my article has provided them, and to also
reference where I got the information of things such as cost, locations, dorms, so they are aware
that the information stated in the article is accurate from where it was obtained from.

References: Provide a literature review of 5-10 PEER REVIEWED ACADEMIC references:

research, videos, etc. that offer some preliminary research you have done for your project that
shows you are able to access the key information that you will need to be able to complete this
project/work. Your list should be written using correct APA formatting.

What Is the Difference Between College and University in Canada? (2021, August 22). Maple

Education. https://mapleeducation.ca/what-is-the-difference-between-college-and-university-

in-canada/

frippery. (2022, June 1). Do Canadian Universities Look At Extracurricular? College Aftermath.

https://collegeaftermath.com/university/do-canadian-universities-look-at-extracurricular/

Mazerolle, K., & Rothwell, M. (2017). Tips, Tricks, and Transitioning: A Practical Guide to Furthering

Your Education. YC Young Children, 72(4), 85–89. https://www.jstor.org/stable/90013715

EduCanada. (2023, February 13). How Canada’s Education System Works. Www.youtube.com.

https://youtu.be/Bua41X5hDgs

Christie, H. (2009). Emotional Journeys: Young People and Transitions to University. British Journal

of Sociology of Education, 30(2), 123–136. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40375413

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