Capstone Projects....

 I’m a little late with this post, but nevertheless, here we go.

After reviewing the wide range of capstone projects, I felt both overwhelmed and intrigued. There are so many things I’m curious about, and knowing that whatever I land on will eventually be chiseled and shaped into something more specific is hard for my brain to grasp — mostly because I always want to jump ahead.

Some ideas I’ve been playing around with all center around youth in some way. One idea involves asking how young people view their voice and place in what feels like a post-Trump, post-COVID, more dangerous, and less community-based era. Where has the sense of community and “loving thy neighbor” gone, and how has that shift shaped younger generations? These questions fall under what I think of as the “how did we get here, and how are youth being affected by it?” category in my head. I know they’re big, layered questions, which makes me a little overwhelmed when I think about how they’ll need to be narrowed down.

Thinking back to what Lesley said about being genuinely curious about our topics, I also found myself drawn to the arts community in Rhode Island — specifically, where young people can go to learn or develop their craft. I’ve noticed how many of these programs and organizations exist in silos, so part of me wonders what it would look like to have a space or central hub where students could dabble in a bit of everything or at least get exposure to different art forms. Another angle I’ve thought about is exploring the journeys of youth who love the arts: how they navigate that world, whether they feel prepared, and if they know about the many creative paths that exist beyond the ones that usually get the spotlight.

Truthfully, I don’t know yet — there are so many things I’m curious about. But I do feel myself leaning toward something related to youth and the arts. It’s like we’ve been handed a box of puzzle pieces, and now it’s time to start sorting them to see what picture emerges. My brain feels both overwhelmed and excited — screaming and ready to dive in at the same time.