Academics
All seniors are required to complete a Capstone Project that demonstrates the interdisciplinary, critical and creative thinking skills they have learned at CSW. Students work closely with their capstone advisors to develop and propose a topic to explore in depth over the course of the year. Students are encouraged to think beyond traditional classroom curricula to choose a topic that is of interest to them and connects to the interests of a wider community.
As part of the project, students are required to keep a journal throughout the duration of the project and write a statement that reflects on their own personal and intellectual growth. The project culminates with a presentation to their peers and members of the Capstone Committee.
As part of the project, students are required to keep a journal throughout the duration of the project and write a statement that reflects on their own personal and intellectual growth. The project culminates with a presentation to their peers and members of the Capstone Committee.
List of Recent Capstones
- Running a Business in Guatemala
- Building a Rocket
- Disability Social Justice in Church
- Fashion and Reflection
- Bilingual Education
- Writing & Illustrating a Children's Book
- LGBTQ experiences in China
- Running the Boston Marathon
- Chinese Factory Labor
- Black Sitcoms
- Most Devisive Issue in America
- Fashion and Technology in Figure Skating
- Building a guitar
- The Neuroscience of Language Learning
- Body Positivity in Education
- Designing and Building a Drone
- Building a Rube Goldberg Machine
- Creating a Hydrogen Engine for a Moped
- Breaking the Binary: Narratives of Race and Gender
- Exploring Alternatives to a Two-Party U.S. System
- Analyzing California's Response to the Drought
- Developing Solutions to Third-World Public Drinking Water Issues
- Combining Quantum Physics Research with Art
- AC Current and the Functioning of the Tesla Coil
"It became an intersection of so much of what I love."
"For my capstone, I studied the history of the North Eastern United States through the lens of a single tree, the Eastern white pine. It became an intersection of so much of what I love: science, environmental history, writing, printmaking, the forest and trees. I had discovered each of these passions really through other learning opportunities at CSW. I found my passion for science by way of "Chemistry," essay writing through "Major Author: Flannery O'Connor." I learned whole new disciplines in my "U.S. Environmental History" and "Printmaking" classes. I found space for my love of the forest both on campus behind the George and off-campus on Wilderness Trips."
— Caroline, Watertown, MA
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.