A Capstone Project is a long-term, investigative project about a real-world issue culminating with a final product, paper, portfolio and presentation. All graduating seniors are required to complete a Capstone Project and enroll in Problems and Solutions, a 12th grade course offered at Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School.

The students begin their project by self-selecting a research topic related to their career of interest. Students use scientific methods of investigation and work under the supervision of a mentor to conduct in-depth research. They must complete a minimum of 20 hours of mentorship or fieldwork observations related to their project.

After compiling their research, the students evaluate their progress and create a product that is a possible solution to a real-world problem. The students test the effectiveness of their product by developing their own research methodology and keep all documentation in a portfolio. Once the data is collected, they complete a final research paper and present their findings to a panel of judges.