All education is moving somewhere. Students spend years reading, writing, calculating, and reasoning; amassing a wealth of knowledge and forming habits of thought that they will carry throughout the rest of their lives. But what occurs when all of their knowledge and training is applied to a single question? At Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, that experience is called Capstone. It’s the culmination of a classical education. It’s not a test to be taken, graded, and tossed aside; it’s an initiation into scholarship and virtue, demonstrating how well a student has mastered the fundamentals of the liberal arts.
In today’s educational climate, education is frequently presented as a series of disconnected subjects. Students take one class after another, amassing bits of information and skills without making clear connections between them. They are expected to understand how the different disciplines interact, and are given little guidance in doing so. They end up with boxes to fill rather than a clear path toward knowledge. They learn how to succeed and get good grades, but seldom are they required to answer the question, “What does all of this mean? How does it all hang together?” For parents seeking an education beyond test scores and basic skills, wanting their child to become a well-rounded, thoughtful, and articulate adult, this approach leaves much to be desired. They expect their children to graduate with more than just a head full of facts; they want their children to know how to think, speak, and behave responsibly.
The classical liberal arts model recognizes the need for integration and synthesis. The three stages of the trivium — grammar, logic, and rhetoric — build upon one another. Students first learn the structure of knowledge, then how to apply it through reasoning, and finally how to share their findings clearly and compellingly. Capstone represents the synthesis of all these components.
A student chooses a question worth answering and spends weeks or months researching it. It might be a literary, historical, philosophical or any other kind of question. The student works with primary sources, evaluates competing viewpoints, and defends a thesis in both written and spoken presentations. The project is more than an essay; it is an opportunity for a student to engage in the grand conversation of Western Civilization and develop a sense of ownership of the ideas that have shaped society. First, a student must choose a question worth pursuing. This is a challenging task; it requires intellectual maturity. They will learn that good answers depend upon good questions.
After this, comes research. In a classical education, this involves the student seeking out the best available information from original sources. Rather than settling for someone’s second-hand version of the story, the student immerses herself in the works of Aristotle, Locke, Shakespeare, The Federalist Papers, Lincoln, etc.
After this, the student will assemble an argument. The Capstone is a thesis that she defends with reason and evidence. She must examine the best arguments against her position; be honest about them, and draw a line between what she can know and only what she suspects to be true. Years of learning to think using the Socratic method—asking questions, evaluating arguments, following evidence—culminate in an argument for which she can defend her own position.
Last, they will present. The Capstone requires students to communicate clearly and persuasively, both to teachers, families, and other students, to demonstrate not only what they know, but who they are becoming as thinkers and speakers.
The Character Dimension: Virtue in the Pursuit of Truth
The Capstone also exercises virtue. At a school committed to cultivating Truth, Honor, Virtue, and Wisdom, students exercise the virtue of intellectual honesty as they follow the evidence wherever it leads, even when it conflicts with their conclusions. They practice perseverance as they carry on a research project over time, revising their work in light of new insights. They grow in humility by acknowledging the limits of their own knowledge, and in courage by presenting their argument in front of an audience of teachers, parents, and peers, and listening to critique with open minds.
This illustrates how the Capstone is more than an academic exercise; it represents Maeser Prep’s vision of educating the whole person. Scholarship and virtue are not competing interests, but different facets of a common human calling.
Community Impact: A Shared Intellectual Life
The Capstone is a communal experience that unites students, teachers, and parents in a shared commitment to rigorous intellectual inquiry. As students make presentations, teachers probe, peers evaluate, and parents bear witness to the results of a Maeser Prep classical education. This is especially meaningful at Maeser Prep, a small school where everyone knows each other and where faculty have spent years working with students in great books classes, Socratic seminars, Winterim programs, Latin translations, and discussions. For this community, the Capstone marks a moment of collective achievement.
Presentations also serve as inspiration for younger students, showing them what a careful reading of a book, or thoughtful engagement in a discussion of ideas, can build toward in the long run.
Evidence of Excellence: Where the Capstone Leads
The Capstone builds the skills of long-term research, critical analysis, persuasive writing, and confident public speaking—all of which are essential for success at the college level. And the outcomes speak for themselves: Maeser Prep’s students average an SAT score of 1330, they were named #1 school in Utah by U.S. News & World Report, and more than 95% of our graduates earn diplomas from colleges and universities across the nation. But there’s something more at stake than college admission. Good questions, deep research, careful reasoning, honest argumentation, and persuasive communication are all keys to success in any profession and vital components of civic engagement. More than that, the Capstone molds students who know that ideas matter, that truth is worth pursuing, and that the life of the mind and the life of virtue are intertwined.
A Tradition With Purpose
For Karl G. Maeser, education was about awakening “the power within to do good.” The Capstone is a tangible demonstration of this conviction. It is the point in which education becomes something students take ownership of—their knowledge, skills, and character that will accompany them throughout their lives.
Established in 2007 as a public charter school dedicated to classical education, Maeser Prep doesn’t just measure students’ educational success on what they can remember on graduation day, but on who they have become.
See It for Yourself
If you want your child to be challenged to think, write, speak, and live with integrity and virtue, come experience the Maeser Prep difference for yourself. Schedule a tour or attend one of our open houses to learn more about how classical education prepares students for college and a life of purpose, honor, and service.
Truth, Honor, Virtue, and Wisdom are more than values. At Maeser Prep, they are virtues.
Common Questions
What is a Capstone project in classical education?
A Capstone is a rigorous, independent research and presentation project in which students ask and answer important questions by engaging with primary sources, making and defending a claim, and presenting to an audience.
How does a Capstone prepare students for college?
It cultivates independent research, analysis, argumentation, and public speaking. Students graduate high school equipped to tackle complex texts and multiple perspectives, and comfortable expressing ideas with confidence and precision.
Is a classical charter school like Maeser Prep only for high-achieving students?
Far from it. Critical reading, logical thinking, and eloquent writing are skills learned over time through teaching, guidance, and practice. Because we are a small, tight-knit community, teachers at Maeser Prep can provide individualized support for every student’s growth.
What is a parent’s role during the Capstone?
Parents witness their students’ presentations and share in the joy of their intellectual accomplishments. While the Capstone is the work of the student, parents’ support and encouragement help create an environment where students can thrive.
How does a Capstone embody virtue?
It encourages intellectual honesty, perseverance, humility, and courage. In so doing, it demonstrates the Academy’s belief that intellectual and moral development are two sides of the same coin.