An adjustment to the PCCAPS program for next year will allow more Park City High School kids to participate in the program. And, as more students have more access to the revolutionary, hands-on Park City Center for Advanced Professional Studies -- more community members and local businesses will get to experience the impact brought about by these students.
PCCAPS students Maria Graf and Siena Volmer, in the health sciences strand, are in the final stages of a unique, highly technical sensory communication board at Park City’s National Ability Center. They created the concept, designed it, and are physically building the board, with a completion goal coming up at the end of the school year.
“The teachers and staff are the first ones to offer help and ensure we are going in the right direction,” said Siena. “But it is expected that they are talking us through a minor setback to get us to come up with an appropriate solution ourselves, not solving our problems for us. This helps everyone in the program become much more self-sufficient which will only help us in the long run.”
READ MORE ABOUT MARIA & SIENA’S NAC PROJECT!
“[PCCAPS is] Such a great blend… there’s SO MUCH about life that is the hands-on learning and that is how you are going to remember,” said new PC CAPS Project Coordinator Adrienne Woolley. “It’s the opportunity to learn in such a unique setting for these students. It’s something that I didn’t have, even in undergrad and graduate work, which was all so academic instead of practical. This is such good practical learning experience!”
This practical learning experience frequently turns into opportunities beyond school credits for P CAPS students. Not only do the real projects for real companies create real results - sometimes, they also turn into real jobs!
That’s the case for PCHS juniors Emily Bronstein and Lauren Allen, two PCCAPS students in the business solutions strand, who created a giveback project for their client, Park City favorite Hearth & Hill. The young women worked with owner Brooks Kirchheimer to create, execute, and market a promotional lunch, which raised hundreds of dollars for PCEF! Not only that, they did such a great job with that project that Brooks hired Emily and Lauren to run the restaurant’s social media. Congratulations ladies - and thank you!
Most projects are completed within one semester, but there is always an exception that proves the rule! The UVSense, a potentially life-saving wearable ultraviolet detecting sensor, was worked on by many different PC CAPS students. After at least four semesters at PCHS, it is now in the hands of the client - the Dermatology Department at The University of Utah.
In PCCAPS, skills like self-management, collaboration, self-reflection, problem-solving, perseverance, effective communication, and good work habits are formed. Students fast forward into their future and are fully immersed in a professional culture, solving real-world problems, using industry-standard tools, and are mentored by actual employers, all while receiving high school and college credit.
