Not Just Any Course
By Ava F.
Students at NSA have fantastic options when it comes to picking courses to take, and this year, a brand-new course has been introduced: Capstone Cooperative Design!
Capstone Cooperative Design is a year-long elective EVP course that is designed to give students the opportunity to create a tool that can impact a real-world issue. There is a different main class project that students work on each semester. Hailey, a student in the class, said, “It will teach you so many skills that you can use right away in so many aspects of your life. You will be educated on how to act on issues in the world and discuss your feelings about it.” She also added that it is a safe space where you can share how you feel about issues in our world and your ideas. Daniel said, “This course has taught me how to work well in a team and how to communicate well with others.”
Mrs. Ahmadzai, one of NSA’s teachers, is the creator and brains behind Capstone Cooperative Design! She said, “This type of course is one that I've wanted to be able to teach at NSA for several years.” The idea had first come to her about four to five years ago when she was learning about schools doing more student-lead learning. Then two years ago during a staff meeting, teachers were sharing about their ministries, and several of them mentioned working with refugees. This is when Mrs. Ahamadzai thought, “I bet our students would have some amazing ideas on how to help.” Soon after, she took the time to write out what the course might look like.
This year, the class’s first project was, “The Blessing Project” which was a fundraiser to advocate for refugees from Afghanistan. Mrs. Ahmadzai said that she hopes to keep advocacy as the main point of the first semester project in the future but with a shift in emphasis. She even had a student reach out to her about the issue of malaria in Africa and how that could be an issue to look at.
When putting the class together, she started with contemplating what she wanted students to experience, which was working as a team to address a real-world problem. She then tried to, “Think backwards about the important skills and mindsets that would help them enter into that experience in a healthy and well-rounded way.” This included the topics of one's identity, purpose, strengths, and team working skills like healthy communication.
Hailey said, “This course is different from others at NorthStar because it doesn’t focus so much on grades and tests it focuses more on the students. What I mean by that is we learn skills to make us better people in this crazy world.” Grace, another student said, “It really focuses on the team aspect and communication, and going to an online school a lot of times we don't really focus on those life skills.” Everything we learn in school is valuable, but sometimes we feel like some of what we learn can’t possibly be put to use in real life. However, Capstone is specifically designed to benefit students in real life and for their futures.
Mrs. Ahmadzai hopes that students will take away a lot from this class, like being able to look at a problem and have the tools needed to try making a difference using the gifts God has given them. She wants students to learn to be comfortable not knowing all the answers, but to be able to ask questions and try things that might not work. That’s so important!
Capstone Cooperative Design is a unique class that NSA now offers its high school students. It’s one of those classes you find yourself excited for and ready to learn from, and it tackles real-life skills that are often learned the hard way. Mrs. Ahmadzai is excited to continue teaching this course and for more students to have the opportunity to learn from it. If you are looking for a place to experience growth not only as a student but as an individual, this course is for you. Are you ready to start changing the world?
Columns: 📓Class Spotlight
Ava F. is a senior who has attended NSA for three years and this is her first year on the Navigator. She lives in the Middle East with her parents and younger brother. She loves learning about other cultures and hopes to pursue a career that will allow her to travel or live abroad. In her free time she enjoys horseback riding, boxing, learning Arabic, reading, and painting.