Shakopee CAPS Business Administration and Management program provides a dynamic introduction to business with access to Valleyfair, Canterbury Park, and Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. Students will partner with leading experts from these regional business centers to learn the principles of business and management. The hands-on, project driven curriculum will include marketing, sales, hotel and restaurant management, event planning, human resource training and development, understand relationships in restaurant operations, and leadership and management skills.

Shakopee CAPS requires students to be active, independent learners and fosters empowerment, self-discovery, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. Students will engage in a variety of opportunities including real problem and project-based learning, tours, and job shadowing experiences. Students will gain professional skills such as resume writing, social networking, and interviewing. Through guided mentoring, students will be immersed in the professional environment through an internship experience that encompasses their personal interest in the field of business.

Shakopee CAPS Creative Marketing & Communications is ideal for students who are interested in developing the professional and technical skills required to explore areas within marketing. This industry is a playground for anyone wishing to pursue a career in creative services, written communications, digital marketing, or traditional media. Do you have an interest in graphic design, illustration, photography, or videography? Are you a wordsmith and want to enhance your skill set in creative and professional writing, public relations, or marketing copy? Is your focus web development, digital marketing, or social media? The Creative Media program encompasses all things marketing within the Arts & Communication Academy.

This program will educate students in design methods, theory, professional communication, and creative problem-solving utilized in the industry today. Students will create visual concepts and learn how those concepts are perceived, interpreted, and communicated.

Students will be fully immersed in our leading business partner, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, where they will gain insight into the inner-workings within several departments of a self-sustaining community and organization. Students will create a wide array of digital, print, and communication pieces in a professional-based learning environment. This will provide opportunities to collaborate with mentors and business clients on a variety of media projects. The program will be led by a creative educator and supported by diverse professionals visiting the classroom as guest lecturers and mentors. Students may be exposed to various degrees of Dakota culture, including history, traditions, and language. By networking with guest speakers and business partners, students will deliver real products to their clients, create a professional portfolio that illustrates their creative talent, and explore career opportunities in the area of creative media.

Shakopee CAPS Healthcare and Medicine program fully immerses students in St. Francis Regional Medical Center providing unprecedented access to real world experiences in the dynamic field of healthcare and medicine. Partnering with experienced medical professionals, students will advance their understanding of healthcare systems, communications, legal issues, medical terminology, patient care, professionalism, ethics, and explore many career opportunities in healthcare.

Shakopee CAPS requires students to be active, independent learners and fosters empowerment, self-discovery, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. Students will engage in a variety of opportunities including case studies, problem and project-based learning, and tours. Through guided mentoring, students will participate in an internship experience that encompasses their personal interest in healthcare and medicine.

The Shakopee CAPS Human Services program allows students to gain a deeper understanding of careers in Public Service Leadership, Law and Legal Services, Mental Health, and Social Services. Partnering with professionals at the City of Shakopee and Scott County, students will gain access to experiences in each of these fields. Shakopee CAPS requires students to be active, independent, learners and fosters empowerment, self-discovery, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. Students will engage in a variety of opportunities including case studies, problem and project based learning, and off-site shadowing experiences.

STEM program fully immerses students at Imagine & Greystone Construction in Shakopee providing unprecedented access to real-world experiences in the dynamic fields of Science & Technology and Engineering & Manufacturing. Partnering with experienced professionals, students will advance their understanding of engineering and discrete manufacturing, design process thinking, project management, software, hardware, and technology applications, as well as explore the many career opportunities in these high-demand industries. Students will be able to see the evolution of their projects from inception to completion with the evolution of the course.

Shakopee CAPS requires students to be active, independent learners and fosters empowerment, self-discovery, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. Students will engage in a variety of opportunities including case studies, problem and project-based learning, and on and off-site shadowing experiences.

As part of the Academies of Shakopee experience, students in Grades 11 and 12 can participate in the

Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS)—an immersive, profession-based learning program rooted in an entrepreneurial mindset.

Building on the career exploration and pathway experiences woven into the Academies journey, CAPS gives students the opportunity to further engage in hands-on, career-connected projects with local business and industry partners. In addition to earning high school elective credits within an Academy pathway, CAPS students can earn dual college credit through partnerships with local colleges and universities while tackling authentic, industry-level challenges. This is where the greater Shakopee community comes in!

High school elective and college credits are available.

Students can earn 6 Shakopee High School elective credits and 2–8 college credits through Normandale Community College or St. Cloud State University, depending on the program. See the individual program guide for more information.

Students will attend Shakopee CAPS classes during Block 1 and 2 (8:15 a.m. -11:05 a.m.) or Block 3 and 4 (12:15-3:05 p.m.) During first and second quarter, students will attend 5 days a week at their off-campus host site. During third quarter, students will be at individual internship sites 4 days each week and 1 day together as a class at their off-campus host site.

There is no cost to student or families for concurrently enrolled college credits. 

Removing barriers to participation is a critical part of the CAPS experience. CAPS is available to each and every student who is interested, meets program requirements and is accepted into the program. Transportation should not be a barrier to participation.

Students may transport themselves to their host site and internship with parent/guardian permission. Students can also work with CAPS Coordinator for support with transportation to host sites and internship. Shakopee High School partners with the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) and utilizes other transportation resources to help ensure students can access their CAPS experiences.