Northland Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS)

Our student associates attend class inside local business partner sites for 2.5 hours per day, five days per week, and we are setup to mimic the work environment. Rather than having every minute of their day scheduled out and dictated, student associates schedule their own tasks and meetings, and they must figure out how to learn important information and skills as needed to tackle projects and prepare for internships.

During the fall semester, we focus primarily on…

• developing professional skills, such as how to successfully network with industry professionals or how to nail an interview.
• self-discovery and career exploration, from job shadowing industry professionals at their site to completing actual projects for local businesses.
• learning technical skills specific to a career of interest (e.g., CAD modeling software or how to read vital signs in a medical setting).
• connecting to local businesses and business leaders to develop relationships that can lead to future employment opportunities.

During the spring semester, student associates complete an approximately 150-hour internship in a career field of interest with one of numerous business partners.

Northland CAPS is geared towards developing professional skills and career exploration, and we do this by immersing students into the business setting on a regular basis. Students interested in focusing on learning a skilled trade should instead apply to one of the region’s career centers.

Northland CAPS courses run from either 7:30-10:00 AM or 12:00-2:30 PM. The typical student associate will spend half of their school day with us and the other half of their day taking classes at their high school. Student associates are asked for their time preference (morning or afternoon) on the NCAPS application, and we work with high school counselors to ensure that the program fits into their school schedule.

We offer courses – called strands - that align with the most in-demand career fields in the Kansas City area; please see our Students & Parents page for more information about each strand.

Our participating school districts pay for their students’ tuition costs, which means Northland CAPS is free for students and their families. However, you must live within the public-school boundaries of one of our participating districts to join:

• Excelsior Springs
• Kearney
• Lathrop
• Lawson
• Liberty
• North Kansas City
• North Platte
• Park Hill
• Platte County
• Smithville

Northland CAPS student associates must provide their own transportation, though many student associates will carpool or get rides with family members. Please speak with your school counselor if you want to participate in Northland CAPS, but transportation is going to be a barrier.

Northland CAPS is hosted in several business partner sites throughout Clay and Platte Counties; we do not have a “building” like a typical school does. One benefit of this approach is that our student associates are constantly surrounded by industry professionals. Please see the About Us page for more information on strands and their respective locations.

Since its beginning in 2013, Northland CAPS has quickly become recognized as a wildly successful career preparatory program. Our student associates consistently earn college scholarships and entry into premiere college programs thanks to polished resumes, impressive portfolios, and fantastic interviewing skills developed while they were with us.

We abide to a business casual dress code for all student associates during the fall semester.