Brandon Valley unveils 'Impact Project' capstone for class of 2027 to expand real-world learning

Brandon Valley School District on Monday introduced the Impact Project, a senior capstone program designed to connect students with local employers and community partners and provide paid and unpaid experiential options before graduation, presenters told the school board.

District presenters said the program, beginning with the class of 2027, offers three distinct pathways. ‘‘Beginning with the class of 2027, this initiative brings the vision of a school without walls to life,’’ said Speaker 7, a high-school presenter, describing the program’s goal of giving seniors meaningful real-world experience. The three options are Lead (entrepreneurship), Learn (a deep senior research or career experience) and Serve (service-learning with community partners).

Why it matters: officials framed the Impact Project as a response to state changes to the college-and-career-readiness measure, and as an opportunity to expand access to workplace learning across the district. Presenters noted that the district already runs internships and apprenticeships—‘‘in the last 4 years, we’ve had over 600 interns and apprentices’’—but said the Impact Project is intended to give all seniors a structured capstone option linked to career pathways and community needs.

Program details provided by presenters: the Lead pathway pairs students with business mentors (local and national resources such as SCORE were cited) to develop a business plan and present to a business panel; the Learn pathway emphasizes depth on a chosen topic and concludes with a gallery-walk presentation; Serve focuses on collaborative projects with nonprofits, churches, city government or schools to meet a real community need. The presenters said the district plans semesterly showcases so juniors, families and community members can see students’ work.

Credit and timing: district staff said the Impact Project will not increase the district’s total graduation-credit requirement of 22 credits. The Impact Project will count as a half-credit, graded pass/fail, and will involve roughly 45 hours of work depending on pathway; existing internships remain a one-credit option (letter grade) that requires about 90 hours. Apprenticeships were described as paid opportunities that include additional training in partnership with Dakota State University and may extend beyond a single semester.

Board members asked about selection and eligibility for apprenticeships and internships. Presenters said apprenticeships involve an application and interview process; for other internships the district works with students to place them in appropriate roles based on ability and schedule. ‘‘We interviewed several students who applied for [an apprenticeship], then we chose one candidate that we thought would be the best for that position,’’ said Speaker 8, the internship coordinator.

Next steps and oversight: registration for senior capstone choices began the day presenters spoke to the board, and the district said it will continue to refine partner engagement and showcase logistics. Administrators framed the project as a districtwide effort involving preschool through high school staff, not just a high-school initiative.

The board did not take a formal vote to adopt the program during the meeting; presenters described implementation plans and timelines to the board and answered questions from members.