Our Program
Students who participate in the program must be a junior or senior for the school year and attend one of the participating districts: Excelsior Springs, Kearney, Lathrop, Lawson, Liberty, North Kansas City, North Platte, Park Hill, Platte County or Smithville. Private school and home school students living within participating districts are also eligible to apply.
The Northland CAPS Experience
Northland Center for Advanced Professional Studies (NCAPS) immerses high school students in real-world professional environments led by industry instructors. Our curriculum is designed around student interests and current industry needs.
In the fall semester, students work on client projects within their chosen strand, solving real business challenges as part of their coursework. During this time, students also develop essential professional skills such as networking, resume writing, and interviewing. They participate in industry site visits and learn directly from guest speakers gaining exposure to career opportunities.
In the spring semester, students apply for internships and spend the semester working alongside professionals in their selected industry. This experience allows students to build professional confidence and personal value while gaining meaningful real-world experience before graduation.
Students also have the opportunity to earn college credit through partnerships with Northwest Missouri State University and UMKC.
If you’re a prospective student interested in learning more before applying, start by speaking with your high school counselor. Have additional questions about the NCAPS experience? Contact us — we’d love to help.
Student associates in our program have the opportunity to choose from several different strands of study. These strands have been identified by local stakeholders as the most in-demand, high-skill careers available in our region.
From media production to emerging technologies, students build professional portfolios that showcase technical skills and creative problem-solving. Explore the Digital Media & Technology strand
Experience hands-on, active learning with immersion in real-world projects sponsored by business partners, structured around engineering processes. Explore the Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing strand
Partner with local, regional, national, and international businesses to produce marketing plans, advertising and promotional plans, customer research, social media plans, event management, and strategic plans. Explore the Global Business & Logistics strand
Unprecedented access to real world experiences in medicine and healthcare through immersion in North Kansas City Hospital and Liberty Hospital. Explore the Medicine & Healthcare strand
Earn industry-recognized certifications such as Medical Assistant, Certified Veterinary Assistant and more! These credentials open doors to career opportunities and set you apart in the workforce. Explore the Certificated Programs strand
For second year associates that want to develop leadership skills and continue internships.
Answers to Common Questions
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NCAPS provides a longer, deeper career experience with students spending 2.5 hours of their school day immersed in a professional environment. This extended time allows students to move beyond observation and develop real workplace and technical skills.
During the fall semester, students build a strong foundation through career exploration and client-connected project work that helps them solidify their career interests. At the same time, they develop professional skills such as networking, resume writing, interviewing, and workplace communication through direct interaction with industry professionals.
NCAPS instructors serve as coaches, providing timely feedback on professionalism, communication, and workplace expectations so students can grow and improve before entering internships.
In the spring semester, students apply these skills through 150 internship hours and/or industry certifications, spending the semester working alongside professionals in their chosen field and contributing meaningfully from day one.
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No. While NCAPS offers opportunities for students to earn some industry certifications, the primary focus is career exploration and personal, professional development.
The goal is to help students make informed decisions about their futures while developing the confidence and professional skills that apply across any career path.
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Student associates earn high school credit for successfully completing Northland CAPS; the amount and type of credit is determined by the sending high school. Please ask your school counselor for details.
Student associates also have the option to earn dual credit through one of our post-secondary education partners. The amount and type of credit depends on the strand in which the associate is enrolled.
Please call the Northland CAPS office (816) 977-8111 for details.
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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.
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We offer courses – called strands - that align with the most in-demand career fields in the Kansas City area.
Please see the strands page for more details.
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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 will set up their own carpool or get rides with family members. North Kansas City Schools and Park Hill School District provide transportation to students who need assistance. If you attend one of these schools, please see your counselor to set up transportation for the school year.
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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 Strands section of this ebsite for more information on strands and their respective locations.
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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.
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We abide to a business casual dress code for all student associates during the fall semester.
The medicine and healthcare associates will have the option to wear NCAPS scrubs on certain days if they choose to purchase.
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