E.A. Young Academy Participates in the College Board’s AP Capstone™ Program

North Richland Hills, TX, October 29, 2015 --(PR.com)-- E.A. Young Academy, a private not-for-profit academy for the gifted and talented, is one of just over 300 schools worldwide to implement AP® Capstone – an innovative diploma program that allows students to develop the skills that matter most for their future college success: research, collaboration and communication. The Academy is currently the only private school in the state of Texas to offer the program. AP Capstone includes a two-course sequence: AP Seminar and AP Research, which are followed over the course of two academic years. Developed in direct response to feedback from university faculty and college admission officers nationwide, AP Capstone complements the in-depth, subject-specific rigor of Advanced Placement® courses and exams.

E.A. Young Academy started offering the AP Seminar course to Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors in the Fall of 2015.

“We are excited to offer the AP Capstone Program this fall. Our incoming sophomores will be the first class eligible to graduate with the AP Capstone Diploma. The program aligns perfectly with our innovative approach that emphasizes the acquisition of skills, not just content,” said Kathy Lyda, MS, E.A. Young Academy’s Head of School. “We are honored to be the first and only private school in Texas to offer the program and are excited to see where our scholars are able to take this type of programming.”

Raquel Garcia, a sophomore at Young and an AP Seminar student, reflects, “This class is infused with elements from language arts, science, and design classes, and allows for students at all levels of familiarity with academic writing to deepen our knowledge about argumentative writing. We are not only learning to develop our own persuasive writing, but are also gaining a deeper understanding of the structure and key elements of a good academic paper.”

The AP Seminar course equips students with the skills to explore academic and real-world issues from multiple perspectives. Over the course of the year, scholars will read and analyze texts, then develop their own perspectives, which they will express in written essays and oral and visual presentations, both as individuals and as teams. These products are then assessed by teachers and the College Board.

Seminar Instructor, Carol Raymond, MEd, explains, “These are skills I didn’t learn until my college years, actually, I didn’t learn many of these skills until graduate school. Our scholars will have such an edge as they pursue their higher education. They are thriving in the class; I’m so excited for them!” AP Seminar students and teachers have the flexibility of choosing themes based on student interests, whether they are local, regional, national or global in nature. The scholars at E.A. Young Academy have decided to focus on Social Media and its various effects on current and future generations as their first topic of study. Samples of other themes that can be covered in the AP Seminar course include education, innovation, sustainability and technology.

The subsequent AP Research course, which will be offered next year, will allow students to design, plan and conduct a year-long investigation on a topic of their choosing, while working with a mentor in their field of study. Students will build on the skills learned in the AP Seminar course by researching while employing ethical research practices, accessing, analyzing and synthesizing information to present an original argument. E.A. Young Academy scholars are well on their way to achieving a whole new level of college and workplace preparation.