The state of California has seen rates of chronic sadness and suicide ideation increase at the high school level and although the state continues to focus efforts at that secondary level, the numbers have not changed. In fact, according to the California Healthy Kids Survey, certain California middle schools find themselves struggling with an increase in the number of seventh graders experiencing chronic sad or hopeless feelings, (about 1 in 6), and in the number of those seriously considering suicide (about 1 in 10). This project seeks to look closely at the availability of mental health education and resources for middle schoolers in one California district. Following interviews with district administrators, teachers, and counselors and a review of educational programs and availability of support, this project will provide recommendations to the district and possible lesson plans for future use.

This research project is about the systematic oppression of prisoners who are facing mental health issues in the southern prisons in the United States. This research will highlight the neglect from correctional officers and how officer training has led to these unjust actions in prisons. Data and witness accounts show the outrageous and unwarranted mistreatments that prisoners may face, and showcase how our justice system is set up to use prisons like rehabilitation centers, ignoring prisoners with mental health issues. The research methods will be content analysis and narrative research. The content will be taken from primary and secondary resources: journals written by prisoners and/or correctional officers and reports by forensic psychologists working with prisoners dealing with mental health issues. The narrative research will be accounts of multiple personal narratives about prisoners who have died due to this unfair treatment and lack of observation.

This paper examines the suppression shown to black musicians in the music industry. This research will provide modern and historic evidence showing direct examples that demonstrate segregation through genres, among other injustices. This project will review multiple interviews with black musicians speaking first hand on their experiences as they fight to be treated the same as their white counterparts.

There is a major problem in the United States as it relates to teenage drug use. Drug use among America’s youth is unacceptably high. Research has indicated that one of the factors leading to the abuse of drugs among youth lies in society's normalization of addiction. This research project is a case study to determine how society influences teenage addiction with substance abuse with the goal of determining some appropriate responses for how to address this prevalent issue.

For decades, female teachers, coaches, administrators, and other school related jobs have experienced wage discrimination, including at Palo Alto High School - a well known, wealthy, and academically rigorous high school. There is a problem with the wage gap between men and women in the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). While women often have the same jobs as men and work just as hard, women earn much less than men or face the glass ceiling, unable to advance to leadership positions. This research project looks deeper into where this issue derived from, and if possible, look for solutions.

Though the bias in regards to attractiveness is relatively well known, this issue tends to disproportionately affect women, with their objectification by society affecting how they are viewed in different professional situations. While the success of some women in certain professional fields is dependent on their appearance, such as for female salespersons, in male dominated fields a woman’s attractiveness can actually be detrimental to how others perceive her, and can lead to a lack of respect. The approach used for this project will be a Quasi Experimental Research in order to study whether 18-35 year old women who are viewed as attractive (in the eyes of the person taking the survey) and thus presented with more opportunities in their careers compared to their peers (considered less attractive). The survey consists of a headshot connected to a fake resume, and the survey respondents will determine whether they would hire this person based upon their resume and image, and afterwards rate their attractiveness on a scale of 1-3, based on their personal perception of attractiveness.

This project examines whether low-income, predominantly minority, voters were disenfranchised during the 2020 primary election at a higher rate than in past primary elections. The extensive research gathered will provide clarity toward the pro’s and con’s of mail-in-voting as well as the effects a global pandemic has on voter turnout during a Presidential Election. The data collected also indicates that voter suppression is still prevalent throughout America. The goal is to determine methods that will improve the democratic process to increase voter turnout and build a more stable voting system.

Farm workers are the power behind the food industry in California and many are blind to the mistreatment that they face. As the COVID-19 Pandemic hit California, more and more workers were at risk for contracting the disease because of the lack of PPE they had access to. Then wildfires swept through the state producing thick smoke making it unhealthy to breathe the air outside and putting workers at an even higher risk for respiratory illness. This research aims to show the issues California farm workers face as a result of lack of access to PPE during the recent pandemic and wildfires.

This research project is aimed to determine the root causes of child abuse during Covid-19. CoronaVirus has said to shatter the system that protects children, leading researchers to investigate whether child abuse cases across the USA have dropped or gone down. Research studies show that child abuse cases that get reported have significantly gone down due to lockdown and children’s safety is at higher risk. This research also aims to answer the question, “How can the effect of Covid-19 on child abuse rates help identify the root causes of child abuse?” Perhaps a study which investigates child abuse from March 2020 through December 2020 could help students, teachers or parents gain a better understanding of what child abuse actually is and what the main causes are.

Countless numbers of studies show that drugs and alcohol are being commonly consumed by high schoolers around the country. This is an ongoing issue that is putting the health and academic success of students at risk. This project aims to find the correlation between substance usage and the academic success of students.