Capstone Project Proposal Draft

Name of student: __________Madison Cheah__________________ Date: ___March 1, 2023___

Teacher: ____Ms. Browne_____ Block: ____B_________

The Capstone strand I have chosen is _________________Project______________________

Proposed title for my Project Proposal: (write the proposed title for your Capstone Project in one clear

sentence):

__Aiding aspiring young women wanting to get a job within the first responders.

What is your inquiry question that interests you for further research? It should be a question that
connects with a purpose, passion or personalized area of interest for you. This is a question that you
cannot just google an answer for. Please see examples from your Capstone booklet.
My inquiry question is:

How does advice from previously and currently working women in first responders inspire teen girls
to become a first responder themselves?

Rationale/context: Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY you are
choosing to investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this area of inquiry connect to
your passion(s), purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you?

I chose this project from a branch of one of my passions, criminology. I have always had a passion
for criminology. I love solving puzzles and finding the ‘why’ aspect of any good case. After choosing
my passion topic, I started to branch off into smaller subtopics of what I enjoyed about criminology.
My subtopics ranged from solving cases, seeing what a police officer does in their everyday life on
the job, women within the force and the differences between a police officer and a RCMP. The first
and last option would involve me job shadowing a police officer and a RCMP officer, which would
prove to be very difficult and most likely unprobeable. I did not have the resources to safely and
effectively job shadow a police officer or a RCMP officer. My last option left was women within the
force. I liked this option the most out of all my options. I felt passionate about this subtopic as a
woman wanting to enter first responders in the future. My capstone project will help aid me to better
prepare myself for the path I have chosen, and maybe other curious, young women might want to

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choose but are too unsure to fully commit. My goal is to answer any uncertainties that lie within the
hearts of young women seeking a job within a male dominated workspace, but are maybe to
intimidated to do.

Background: What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in this area of

inquiry?

My dad is a cop in a high position. Growing up hearing stories from him and having that connection
to the criminology world really sparked my interest in criminology. When I got old enough, I started
watching criminology shows. They soon became my favorite genre of TV. I loved watching them
like I was living the case, trying to figure out who did it before it was revealed. Even if I knew who
the mastermind was, understanding why they did it, getting inside their brain to see their thinking, it
all fascinated me. Other than my dad, TV shows and what little bits of news I would hear about
cops, I do not really know anything about what goes on in a police station, department, anything. I
know what goes on in the world around me, but not in my own dad’s world. I want to explore further
what it is like to live as a first responder to further understand my dad and what he goes through,
but also for myself as a woman wanting to potentially go into criminology as a future career path.

Career connections: What is your intended career area at this point in time? What connections
does this inquiry question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals?

After high school I plan on going to bible college for a year long program. After completing the
program, I want to go into criminology. My capstone helps me get a sense of what the future holds
for me, a woman wanting to become a first responder and entering that world. Knowing what past
and present women in the force have done to accomplish what they have can and will help future
women enter into the force with light hearts and less to worry about because they will be prepared.
As a person who loves preparation and a schedule, knowing the facts beforehand will ultimately
help my future become a smoother transition from school to life.

Interdisciplinary and core competencies connections: What subject areas and core
competencies will be connected with your project? Outline and explain the connections.

Core Competencies involved in my project will be: Communication, Creative and Critical Thinking,
Personal Awareness and Responsibility and Social Responsibility.

Communication: For my project I will need to connect with others to schedule, hold and edit
interviews as well as get them approved. I will need constant communication with my teacher and
mentors to keep them in the loop and to ask them for help and guidance whenever necessary.

Creative and Critical Thinking: My topic is a very serious topic that should not be types out like a

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text message being sent to a close, personal friend. I will need to think both critically and creatively
to present my information in a professional way that still keeps my readers interested. I will need to
analyze my research to find what I am looking for and think of creative ways to present said found
information to my readers.

Personal Awareness: During this project I will need to have self-determination and self-regulation to
keep on top of my responsibilities. I will need to stay on top of my work to limit the amount of stress
I will be feeling in June when I have to present my capstone.

Social Responsibility: I will need to build on current relationships and build new relationships to fully
complete my capstone. In addition, I am certain I will come across problems throughout my
capstone. To solve my problems I will need problem solving skills. I will need to solve my problems
quickly and peacefully because as the year comes to a close, I do not have time to stretch out
unnecessary problems which will only implicate me in the future.

Capstone Presentation medium: select one or more project mediums you wish to use to present
your project. Outline and give details about how you will present your project once completed. You
may use a combination of mediums.
o Electronic portfolio: Prezi or o Website
PPT o imovie presentation
o Physical portfolio o YouTube channel

My project will take the form of an article. I will make a website that shows all my information
gathered, interviews (should I be lucky enough to have any) and any artifacts I find. To make it
easier to read my article I wanted to split it up a little into the three main categories of the first
responders, firefighters, police officers and paramedics. With those three categories I can easily
split up my work to make my article good reading lengths that will not put my readers to sleep. Also,
a website makes having subcategories easy and easy to find. I feel that a website with a bunch of
small/medium length articles highlighting the importance of my capstone and what I have found will
look the best and be the easiest to organize.

Description of my Capstone project. Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project: what will
you research, create, study, produce, solve, investigate? What product will be produced at the end
of this project for evaluation. Write a one-page description outlining your proposal.

For my capstone I will research, study and create information of presently and previously working
females within the first responders. With this information I will create a website full of articles
detailing what I have found. The website will consist of tips, statistics, useful knowledge, and advice
for young women wanting to become a first responder.

In the end, my final product will be an easy to read website compiled of articles. I want my page to
have at least three pages, one for each first responder. Within those pages I want to have sub-
categories for tips and advice, statistics and useful knowledge such as what one might need to get

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into certain programs, for example, volunteering – where it might be best to volunteer for
experience or courses to apply to. If possible I would also like to add a section for interviews held
with previously and currently working women in the force. I would be asking the most wondered
questions of how to move forward after high school, what kind of mindset should young women
wanting to join the force have and what kept them going through the hard times, questions like
those. I could also potentially ask women currently working towards entering first responders as
well to give real life advice to young, aspiring women.

Best case scenario, my capstone will be able to help many women, including myself, in their
journey bringing them into the force. I want my website to aid those wondering, curious maybe a
little hesitant women out there, to inspire them to not give up on their dreams just because society
might be against them. I want to give strength back to the young women who aspire to be more
than what they were brought up to be. Even if they are not one hundred percent certain about what
they want in life, I want my website to be able to guide someone towards their dream.

As someone who likes to know all the information before getting into something, and to have
accompanying guidelines, I would want a website like the one I will create to show me my options
and what I can do with them. To have access to this resource would make my life a lot easier and
less stressful. My hope upon everything else I have listed previously, is for simplicity and
straightforwardness. I want my website to take off some of the stress a young woman might be
feeling when entering into a male dominated work space. All those questions of, “what academics
or extracurriculars do I need?” Or “where and how do I apply?” My goal if to answer some of the
questions inspiring women have when entering first responder to take off a load for them. It’s
already stressful enough to be a woman in a man’s world, applying to work among them does not
need to be another stress point in our lives. Hopefully, my capstone will find whoever needs it and
relieve them of some stress.

Resources/ Technology/Skills: Make an assessment of the resources, technology and skills you
will need to be able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to access/learn all of the
resources necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail your plans.

Resources:
- For interviews I would need to set up meetings, online or in person, with specific women. To do
this I will need to get in contact with these women.
- JSTOR, Google scholar and other search engines/ databases – for research
Plan: I have access to JSTOR and other search engines thanks to RE Mountain. As for interviews,
I could ask my dad of any women I could potentially interview. Otherwise, I will have to reach out to
other associations and try to make connections. I have a few friends going into nursing and an
uncle who is an EMT, I could ask them for an interview to see the contrasts of a male EMT and
what my project is about as well as see what inspired my friend to keep going into such a harsh
environment. A challenge I will face will be getting in contact with these women, especially
firefighters because I have no connection there whatsoever, and having them agree to an interview.

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Technology:
- Laptop to research and create a website and my articles on – I have my own
- A device to record my interviews – my phone
- Website – my final product
Plan: I already have access to more than enough technology between me and my school. I will use
my resources wisely to create an amazing project.

Skills:
- Communication – oral and written (oral for interviews, written for emailing/ reaching out to
inquire about interviews) Also communication with my teacher, asking for help and guidance or
for extensions for my projects.
- Writing skills – I want to try and connect to my readers as much as possible, writing in a robot
voice does not do the trick. I will have to incorporate my own voice into my writing while stating
any facts I found and keeping my writing somewhat professional.
- Responsibility – I have to set up the interviews and make sure I have questions to ask them. I
will also have to stay on top of this project so I am not scrambling to finish two weeks before I
have to present. I want to put my best foot forward, to do so I will have to be responsible with
my time management.
Plan: I need to be on top of my responsibilities. There will be a lot of lists and reminders set on my
phone, but I will manage. Communication and writing skills come with time and practice. I will hold
mock interviews with my family and friends, even my mirror before holding any actual interviews to
ensure my interview goes as smoothly as possible. I will also make sure my writing is clear and
precise so there are no misunderstandings by going over it multiple times and using all my
resources available such as getting a second opinion and spell check. Finally, I will absolutely
make sure to keep my teacher in the loop with any challenges I am struggling with and seek aid.

Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections will you

need to help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help you? What is your
plan to access the mentorship/community connections necessary for this project?

I will need connections within the first responders, even a website that allows me to exchange
emails with someone there to inquire about interviews. I will need to establish these connections
sooner rather than later for the sake of time. My mentors will help me gain insight into what it
means to work in a male dominated work space and what kind of ambitions a young woman would
need in order to survive. I am looking for a mentor that is willing to talk to me openly and is eager to
share what they have learned and pass it on to the next generation. My plan to find a mentor is to
first reach out to my connections to try and find a suitable person to interview and then to find a
person I can reach out to through email or other methods.

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Project limitations: What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you foresee that
might affect progress with your Capstone Project?

Creating the necessary connections will prove to be a challenge. Especially because I am sure any
woman in the first responders will be busy. To ask them to take time out of their busy schedules for
an interview might me hard to convince.
Another problem would be the design of my website. I have never created a website for articles
before. I am not sure what it should look like or what the final product will turn out like. I can only
look at other articles and the way they are set up to draw inspiration from.

Other considerations: List and detail any other related information/ considerations about your
project that you feel should be included in your project proposal.

I feel like my project is straightforward. A website complied of information from credible websites
and databases along with interviews from previously, currently and possibly aspiring to be women
in the force, all nicely laid out to aid young women wanting to enter into the first responders
themselves.

References: Provide a literature review of 5-10 PEER REVIEWED ACADEMIC references:

research, videos, etc. that offer some preliminary research you have done for your project that
shows you are able to access the key information that you will need to be able to complete this
project/work. Your list should be written using correct APA formatting.

DHARMAPURI, S. (2013). Why Is Gender Equality in Peacekeeping Important? In Not Just a

Numbers Game: Increasing Women’s Participation in UN Peacekeeping (pp. 6–8). International
Peace Institute. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep09557.6

Babin, B. J., & Boles, J. S. (1998). Employee Behavior in a Service Environment: A Model and Test
of Potential Differences between Men and Women. Journal of Marketing, 62(2), 77–91.
https://doi.org/10.2307/1252162

Cicognani, E., Pietrantoni, L., Palestini, L., & Prati, G. (2009). Emergency Workers’ Quality of Life:
The Protective Role of Sense of Community, Efficacy Beliefs and Coping Strategies. Social
Indicators Research, 94(3), 449–463. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40542266

Scarborough, R. C. (2017). Risk a Lot to Save a Lot: How Firefighters Decide Whose Life Matters.
Sociological Forum, 32(S1), 1073–1092. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26626006

Terkildsen, N., & Schnell, F. (1997). How Media Frames Move Public Opinion: An Analysis of the
Women’s Movement. Political Research Quarterly, 50(4), 879–900. https://doi.org/10.2307/448991

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