our mission

Developing engaged students committed to making a positive difference in the world.  The Center for Advanced Professional Studies represents the collaboration of education, business and community, providing students with a unique, immersive experience, resulting in highly skilled, adaptable, global innovators and leaders.

Below are five key guiding principles that unite, define, and guide the caps experience: 

Profession-based Learning
Instructors develop real-world, project-based learning strategies through collaborations with business and community partners. These interactions enhance the learning experience, preparing students for college and career.

Responsiveness
CAPS supports high-skill, high-demand careers through ongoing innovation in curriculum development, programs and services based on local business and community needs.

​Self-Discovery and Exploration
Students realize their strengths and passions by exploring and experiencing potential professions. This allows them to make informed decisions about their future, while learning to exhibit leadership.

Professional Skills Development
Unique experiences allow students to cultivate transformative professional skills such as understanding expectations, time management and other essential business values. These skills are critical to providing students a competitive advantage in their post-secondary education and professional careers.

Entrepreneurial Mindset
Instructors create an environment where creative thinking and problem solving is encouraged. An innovative culture is key to fostering entrepreneurial learning and design thinking.

Q: What is CAPS?
A: Innovation Ridge Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) is a nationally recognized, innovative high school program. Students fast forward into their future and are fully immersed in a professional culture, solving real world problems, using industry standard tools and are mentored by actual employers, all while receiving high school credit. CAPS is an example of how business, community and public education can partner to produce personalized learning experiences that educate the workforce of tomorrow, especially in high skill, high demand jobs.

Q: Is CAPS a trade school or vocational program?
A: No. CAPS provides students the opportunity to deeply explore professional areas of interest through a profession-based, inquiry learning method. CAPS is driven by the changing workforce needs of industry, therefore instructors and CAPS business partners collaborate to develop coursework. CAPS curriculum is dynamic, constantly evolving to follow industry trends and market changes using a copyrighted rapid prototyping curriculum development process.

Q: How do colleges/universities view CAPS students?
A: While each institution has different admission standards, showing the ability to complete real-world interdisciplinary projects is proving to differentiate CAPS students on college, university, and scholarship applications.

Q: What type of credit can be received from a CAPS course?
A: CAPS courses offer high school credit, elective, CTE and core credit.

Q: What is the schedule in the CAPS program?
A: CAPS courses meet 5 days a week for a semester. Courses are 2 periods in length and are offered in the afternoon.

Q: What are the requirements to enroll?
A: Students interested in the CAPS program need to:

• attain junior or senior status

• desire to work in a profession-based, real-world environment with other Ridgefield High School students

• be willing to comply with business ethics (e.g. attendance) and dress codes determined by the type of CAPS study they are involved in

• be willing to spend 2 periods a day away from the Ridgefield High School campus

• be able to provide their own transportation to CAPS and business partner sites