At Tilton School, students are encouraged to imagine and create learning opportunities that require them to fully immerse themselves in the process.
An Independent Capstone Seminar is the ultimate student-school partnership, driven entirely by student passion. With approval from the Director of Academics and guidance from a faculty mentor, students venture outside the traditional curriculum to design a comprehensive, year-long learning program. By shaping their unique interests into specific, manageable, and measurable goals, students demonstrate the vital leadership traits of vision and initiative.
A Capstone project challenges students to explore a complex topic from all angles, culminating in a tangible artifact that demonstrates deep mastery of essential skills. Whether expanding on a completely original idea or collaborating on a shared interest with a faculty member, the Capstone represents the pinnacle of how students take control of their own learning at Tilton School.
We encourage students to imagine and create learning opportunities that require full immersion—body, mind, and heart. These independent, experiential journeys are not constrained by the school’s daily schedule; learning can occur during class time, evenings, weekends, or academic breaks, and can take place on campus, off campus, or in virtual spaces. In fact, some of the most intensive growth happens when students collaborate with outside partners.
Tilton School has a rich history of community partnerships, from our Engineering students designing elements for a river park in Franklin, NH, to the English Department collaborating with The Telling Room in Portland, Maine. While those specific programs are driven from within the established academic curriculum, the Independent Capstone Seminar is driven entirely by student passion.
To bring a Capstone to life, students partner with a mentor—whether a classroom teacher, advisor, coach, or community partner—to mold their interests into a rigorous project with specific, manageable, and well-articulated goals. Once approved, these intensive programs earn elective academic credit. They are designed to extend learning well beyond the basics and cannot be used to replace core graduation requirements.
Students ready to design a Capstone project should consult with the Director of Academics. The process concludes with students pitching their ideas to their Advisors and a subset of the Academic Committee. This pitch must outline clear learning goals, a project description and timeline, assessment strategies, final deliverables, and a committed faculty mentor.