Humanities

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Analyzing the Achievement Gap in the Bay Area

In the Bay Area, there is a significant achievement gap between students of different races and socioeconomic statuses. I will visit two different local schools (one affluent, one struggling economically) develop and test curriculum to see if it makes a difference in students and their respective achievements. I will be using action research, specifically interviews and focus groups, to collect data on the economic achievement gap and the impact of strategic adjustments to curriculum.

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Differences Between an Underground Artist and a Mainstream Artist

"Mainstream" musical artists are artists who can be heard on the radio and who are under contract to a record company. "Underground" artists are artist who do not appear on the radio and must either own their own record company or find alternative means of publishing their music.

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Racial Disparity in Standardized Testing

The city of Palo Alto embodies an environment where a lot of privilege exists. Palo Alto is a place where there are a plethora of tutors offered, education is a priority for all, and everyone has the chance to take standardized tests, like the ACT and SAT. However, there is a problem with standardized testing, specifically the racial disparity that occurs within it. My project explores the different factors that cause this disparity, and the efforts that have been implemented to close the gap today.

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How Use of a Teen Mentoring Program Impacts Third Graders' Continued Participation in a Study Group

This research project will pilot a mentorship program within the context of a youth support and religious studies program within my church. In 5th grade, there has been a decline in enrollment and a drop-off in the number of students attending the program, and this project will study whether a mentorship program can be effective in sustaining and increasing participation. High school students from the church will be recruited and trained to serve as mentors. This is a critical age because this is the time kids stop being involved in the program. Mentors will be interviewed about the experience to determine the effectiveness of the mentorship program and to identify areas for future improvement. The results will also be examined: if next year’s enrollment goes up, then the mentorship program may have positively impacted the program for 3rd and 4th graders.

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Water Filtration and Purification

This summer, while visiting a poor village in rural China, we saw the severe problems that a lack of clean drinking water created for the villagers who lived there. These problems include a variety of waterborne diseases that may greatly harm work productivity. We are working on bringing accessible, clean drinking water to the village through designing and implementing a water filtration system that meets the specific filtration needs of the environment there.

Using Virtual Reality to Foster Empathy

In this project, I will develop a virtual reality simulation about pressing global issues. I will test my simulation by surveying participants about how watching the simulation could have changed their perspectives about the issues presented. The goal of my project is to increase awareness about important topics in our society and foster empathy for those impacted.

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Clothing Waste

Clothing waste seems to be an increasing problem. With new and very successful business tactics deployed by the fashion industry, more and more clothing is being created and thrown away. I will be looking into the process that clothing goes through to be created and discarded, then identify possible solutions to the problem.

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Effectiveness of Safety Technology on Military Aviation over the Past 100 Years: How Technologically Driven Reductions in Pilot Error Reduce the Number of Incidents

Pilot training is intense, especially for those who participate in the military, which is why there are so many ranks. Military pilots are officers, which is the highest rank. The second highest is a warrant officer, with a non-commander officer third. All military officers have a four-year college degree, except for army pilots, who can obtain a license by becoming warrant officers. Despite how much education is required to become a pilot, the rate of crashes is surprisingly high, which is why this case study is studying the effects of technology. A study of the Naval Aviation Training and Operations Procedures Standardization (NATOPS) shows the history of accident rates within the military.

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Differences between American and European Ideas of a "Gap Year"

Do Americans and Europeans have drastically different ideas about the idea of a "gap year" between high school and college? Why is it so much more popular in the rest of the West than it is in America? Is the American opinion changing?

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How Watching Anime Impacts Thought Processes

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a disability that hinders a person's ability to socialize effectively with others. From my own experience growing up with autism, I've only been able to sympathize with characters in books, TV, and films, such as manga and anime, due to the scenery, plot, and characterization. Autistic minds gravitate toward image-rich media such as manga and anime, and they tend to replay these images in memory. Sometimes emotions, setting, and storyline are key aspects of the drawings, which help convey the main life lesson. This helps the reader find the manga imagery relatable, inspiring the reader to continue to read the next chapter.