St. John’s Northwestern Academies Introduces AP Seminar in Fall 2024
DELAFIELD, Wis. – St. John’s Northwestern Academies is one of approximately 3,500 schools worldwide to offer AP® Seminar, which is part of the AP Capstone Diploma™ program. The program focuses on developing essential skills for college and career success, such as critical thinking, research, collaboration, and communication. Students who score a 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research, as well as on four additional AP Exams of their choosing, earn the AP Capstone Diploma. This signifies outstanding academic achievement and attainment of college-level academic and research skills. Students who score a 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research (and not on 4 additional AP Exams) earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™.
St. John’s Northwestern Academies has introduced the first component of the AP Capstone program, AP Seminar, this fall. AP Research is scheduled to be offered in the Fall of 2026.
“The AP Capstone program will prepare our diverse student population to become skilled collaborators, critical thinkers, and consumers of information. The Capstone courses will give students flexibility to explore the complex topics affecting their lives, and we are excited to offer this tremendous learning opportunity to our students,” said Stephanie Ihler, Chief Academic Officer.
In AP Seminar, taken at SJNA as a 10th grade honors course or as an elective course for juniors and seniors, students choose real-world topics and evaluate them from multiple perspectives. Students identify credibility and bias in sources and develop arguments in support of a recommendation.
AP Seminar is project-based, and students are required to deliver written arguments, collaborate in teams, and deliver professional multimedia presentations as part of their AP Exam.
“The core AP Capstone courses, AP Seminar and AP Research empower students to deeply engage with real-world issues, cultivating key research, writing, collaboration, and presentation skills,” said Bianca Peart, global director of the AP Capstone Diploma program.
Bianca Peart adds “There’s a rapid trend in high schools, where AP Seminar is increasingly offered as an English 10 graduation requirement. However, there’s flexibility to offer the course through any department. I greatly enjoy seeing a growing number of high schools use AP Seminar as a foundation for students to focus their work on identity-specific topics like gender studies or racial/ethnic studies such as African Diaspora or Native and Indigenous content. AP Seminar and AP Research align with the dynamic and diverse skills that can be used in daily conversations with friends, family, in the classroom or at work.”
In partnership with the higher education community, College Board developed AP Capstone courses so students can practice and master skills essential for success in college and career.
“We’re excited more schools are offering the AP Seminar and AP Research,” said Kedra Ishop, vice president for enrollment management at the University of Southern California. “We believe the research, collaboration, and presentation skills taught in the two courses will be valuable to students throughout their academic and professional careers.”
About St. John’s Northwestern Academies
St. John’s Northwestern Academies is a safe, structured environment that provides each student a foundation for life with specialized programs that are built with future aspirations in mind. Learn more at www.sjnacademies.org
About College Board
College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success—including the SAT®, the Advanced Placement® Program, and BigFuture™. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators, and schools. For further information, visit collegeboard.org.
AP Equity and Access Policy
College Board strongly encourages educators to make equitable access a guiding principle for their AP® programs by giving all willing and academically prepared students the opportunity to participate in AP. We encourage the elimination of barriers that restrict access to AP for students from ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups that have been traditionally underrepresented. Schools should make every effort to ensure their AP classes reflect the diversity of their student population. College Board also believes that all students should have access to academically challenging coursework before they enroll in AP classes, which can prepare them for AP success. It is only through a commitment to equitable preparation and access that true equity and excellence can be achieved.