One problem that has been historically overlooked is the prevalence of guard-on-inmate sexual violence within women’s correctional facilities in the US. As sexual violence continues to be pervasive within U.S. correctional facilities, victims are often left to deal with long-term detrimental effects including, but not limited to, STDs and mental health problems. These issues disproportionately affect ethnic minorities as a result of eras of mass incarceration after the abolition of slavery and the war on drugs. This project will survey people who have worked in and around women’s correctional facilities and draw on a number of different resources, including reviewing previously published academic papers, surveys conducted in women’s prisons, and other academic studies. Using these resources, this project is expected to serve as evidence to support alterations to the current system that will aid in limiting this problem.

54% of trans youth claimed to have attempted suicide, and 21% have tried self-mutilation (ACOG, 2011). These horrific facts are the reason why safe, affordable medical and legal treatment for trans and gender-expansive people is necessary. Treatment can look different for everyone, but generally speaking, it includes a combination of taking hormones or getting surgery, legally changing their name and/or sex marker, or having their family and friends use a different name and set of pronouns. Most of the time, trans rights are overlooked and not discussed — many insurance companies don't cover hormone therapy or surgeries. Most US states don't have laws protecting trans people in work environments, housing, and medical situations. Combining these things makes it very hard for trans people to transition socially, legally, and medically, increasing anxiety, depression, and suicide rates. This research project will conduct a survey and analyze the results with correlation research. The survey will ask trans and gender-expansive people questions about their experiences and opinions on how easy it is to transition in the US and what systems should be improved to help them.

This research project is about the apparent discrepancy with the education level in a math class of those living in lower-income neighborhoods that attend PAUSD schools. Despite PAUSD’s attempts to provide help for these students through the use of IEP plans and support classes, this problem remains and continues to negatively impact lower-income students who are not receiving the same caliber of education in math as their white peers. This research aims to study the root causes of the math achievement gap and solutions to address it within the PAUSD school district.

The goal of my research project is to attain a better understanding of how representation affects the LGBTQ community. There has been quite a bit of research into LGBTQ underrepresentation, but not a lot has been done into the impacts that that has. The percentage of films that include LGBTQ characters is extremely low, and those that do do it through over exaggerated and overused stereotypes. The fact that the LGBTQ community is often represented poorly, if at all in most movies, can have a variety of impacts on the members of the community, including a lack of self esteem and subconscious behavioral shifts. This research project focuses on personal accounts from members of the LGBTQ community to be able to see the extent of these problems and to discover if there are more.

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.

The history of redlining and real estate discrimination in our country is a huge issue. Throughout history African Americans and other minorities have been denied fair realty services. The impacts of this are seen today through the achievement gap, health and access to healthy food, overall wealth, and diversity within communities. This project will highlight the effects that redlining continues to have decades later in the East/Palo Alto community as determined by an interview of a community member.