When most people think of high school they think of math tests, book reports, and bland lunches. While all these things go on at Kensington CAPA, students also hear drums being beat, see student films being made, and watch photographers take pictures of the surrounding neighborhood. Kensington CAPA tries to prepare students for post-secondary education in the fields of expressive arts. The only students accepted here must have an interest in at least one of the following categories: dance, choir, instrumental music, graphic arts, film making, theater, and visual arts. While these subjects may be pooh-poohed by those with an interest in business or science, the surrounding of students with art has a positive impact on those who attend school here.

“The kids need be able to express themselves and the various programs at the school does just that,” said first-year principal Lisette Agosto-Cintron. “These programs motivate the kids to come to school everyday, because we’re helping feed their passion. However, we’re still a high school. We have to prepare the students for the Keystone exams and for life outside of KCAPA.

That passion fuels the students’ learning. By allowing students to focus their studies in areas that is of interest to them  they encourage personal engagement with their projects and perseverance to achieve goals that are attractive to the students themselves. Kensington CAPA takes students’ interests and hones their skills in these areas, improving their chances of succeeding in a post-secondary world. They also show them how their interests and skills could apply to real-world projects, like designing a billboard for a company.