PREPARING ALL STUDENTS

FOR THEIR PURPOSE

Since 2017, the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) at Cedar Falls High School has taken student-associates outside of the traditional classroom to immerse them in professional environments to help prepare them for their purpose.

Student-Associates develop problem-solving and durable skills to work on real projects for real business clients. This experience, along with focused development and career exploration, prepares each student-associate for life beyond high school. CF CAPS is an example of how business, community and education can partner to produce personalized learning experiences that educate the workforce of tomorrow, especially in high skill, high-demand jobs.

PART 1: OVERVIEW OF THE CEDAR FALLS/CEDAR VALLEY CAPS PROGRAMS 

Part one focuses on how CAPS prepares students for professional work environments through projects with local businesses.

PART 2: BUSINESS PARTNERS & THE VALUE OF WORKING WITH CAPS

Part 2 focuses on how the CAPS program keeps business leaders engaged with training the next generation of working Iowans and the value of CAPS for their businesses.

PART 3: STUDENT-ASSOCIATES & THE IMPACT CAPS HAD ON THEIR FUTURES

Hear from CAPS students about how the program helped them find their career interests and a path after High School.

FROM PROJECT TO PROFESSION:

A CAPS SUCCESS STORY

This video highlights the transformative collaboration between education and business, demonstrating how CAPS prepares students for the future while delivering real business results. Through a partnership with Kryton Metals, CAPS student-associates took on the challenge of redesigning a step stool for a cryogenic freezer as one of our program’s very first projects—gaining hands-on engineering experience that not only improved efficiency but also generated profit for the company.

The impact extended beyond the project itself. One CAPS student-associates earned an internship, received paid college tuition, and secured full-time employment. Now, as an Engineer at Kryton, he is leading current CAPS projects with student-associates—bringing the experience full circle and continuing to bridge education with industry.

"CAPS is a great experience that will tear you down & build you from the ground up into a better person. Your weaknesses will become your strengths. Your strengths will become your gifts. It sounds scary, but you will become a better person & professional."

— CAPS ALUMNI

FIRST CAPS COHORT, SPRING 2017

CONTACT US

Feel free to contact us with any questions by submitting the “CONTACT US” form or emailing CFCAPS@cfschools.org.