Graduate Capstone Projects

Capstone Projects

See how Capstone students reflect on their work in the program and show what they learned through a demonstration project.

1. “Gender Inclusive Restroom Policy Proposal"

Cole Ketcherside, Megan Duncan and Cory Miller

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The Master of Public Administration Capstone Gender Inclusive Restroom Policy examines access to public restrooms as it relates to issues of gender identity and proposes policy solutions and recommendations to city officials in Olympia, Washington. See the proposal here. Read the blog about this capstone proposal's acceptance by the City of Olympia in 2020.

2. “State Parks for All Washingtonians"

Kellee Keegan and Nikkole Hughes

The Master of Public Administration Capstone State Parks for All Washingtonians is a strategic data management and social marketing plan for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. At the core of the plan is the question, "How can State Parks identify and better serve underrepresented and underserved communities in terms of access to parks?" This strategic plan lays the groundwork for State Parks to identify the strengths and weaknesses of its ability to collect certain visitor and non-visitor data and provides a conceptual framework for how best to use available visitor data to leverage social marketing opportunities.

 3. “Investing in the Future of Farmland”

Addie Candib 

Supported by The Evergreen State College Office of Sustainability, the MPA Capstone project Investing in the Future of Farmland explores the question: "How can nonprofit farmland trusts leverage private sector investment tools to further their missions?" The presentation will describe the current landscape of funding for farmland preservation, and explore the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with different sources of private investment dollars. The presentation will offer several lessons for land trusts interested in working with private investments, as well as opportunities and next steps for the land trust community at large. 

4. “Juvenile Detention Reform in Washington State"

Joel Chang and Donnelle Hansen 

Our Capstone project explores the current and perceived concepts of Juvenile Detention reform in Washington State.  We investigated and examined our topic by way of reviewing prior research surrounding Juvenile Detention reform, administering a survey of current detention alternatives in use, and interviewing key professionals involved in Juvenile Detention in Washington State.  Our research findings were then transposed into articles on Medium.com available to the public, sharing their stories and reconstructing perceptions of Juvenile Detention reform.

5. “Breaking the Cycle: Women in Poverty in Mason County”

Allison Maluchnik and David Quinton

Breaking the Cycle: Women in Poverty in Mason County is a documentary investigating the cycle of poverty for women in Mason County, Washington. Through the testimonies of local women who utilize programs that support their efforts to obtain self-sufficiency and the professionals who regularly work with women in poverty, this documentary takes a closer look at the long journey it takes to break the relentless cycle poverty.