Projects by year
View our 2019-20 AAR Student Presentation Projects by discipline: Humanities, Social Science, and STEM.
Business
Impact of Security Treats on Country Debt Defaults
By Ben S.
This paper examines whether countries that face greater international security threats are less likely to default on their sovereign debt.This research will provide clarity on how possible and actual conflict affects financial policy. Two datasets—one mapping sovereign debt defaults for the past 200 years and one that records all instances of any form of military disputes for the same time... Read More
Social Science
Older Adults’ Core Values in Recreational Activities as Predicted by Developmental Psychology with Emphasis on Cultural Disparities
By Jessica Z. and Sarah B.
For older adults, aged 65 to 95, recreational activities are essential to maintain a healthy mental and physical state. Through analyzing the study of developmental psychology, the common core values of older adults were identified. Using these values, a hypothesis of older adult satisfaction of existing recreational activities was surveyed to test predictions. We then passed out a survey,... Read More
Social Science
Addressing Consequences On High School Student Sleep Health As A Result Of COVID-19
By Myra X.
Although there has been extensive research on the detrimental impacts of not maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm on physical wellbeing and academic excellence, many are unaware of the prevalence of such issues. Especially during an unprecedented time like this, it is important to prioritize our health and wellbeing. Through extensive data gathering, I was able to obtain results that show... Read More
Social Science
Air Pollution in Palo Alto vs East Palo Alto
By Alexandra L.
This research project is about the disproportionate affects of air pollution in communities of lower socioeconomic status, especially between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. Air pollution is a major problem because it has lots of long and short term health effects, like asthma. Communities of lower socioeconomic status experience more air pollution than other communities, so this research is... Read More
Social Science
Assistance for the Oglala Sioux Population
By Natalia B.
There is a problem in Native American Reservations and their living conditions. Despite the Indian Housing Authority’s efforts, there are 90,000 under housed or homeless Native Americans. The Pine Ridge Reservation is 2,000,000 acres. Pine Ridge is the site of many events, they mark history between the Sioux and The United States. The project will include having a donation drive. Anyone can... Read More
Social Science
Autism and Poverty
By Audrey G.
At least 1 in 59 children are on the autism spectrum in the U.S. (CDC, 2019). These rates are likely higher in low-income communities. People with autism are at a higher risk for ADHD, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and obesity. There are no papers on PubMed, the world’s leading medical database, that compare CBT, ABA, and RDI (three treatment methods). Such a... Read More
Social Science
Awareness for Battered Woman Syndrome
By Sofia M.
This project will be trying to find a way to change the criteria for battered woman syndrome so that it encompasses the whole experience of battered women. The narrow definition limits the amount of people who can use it in court to claim self-defense when killing an abuser preemptively. As a result, woman are being charged for murder. This project will focus on how to increase awareness for... Read More
Social Science
Barriers to Reporting Sexual Harassment at Palo Alto High School
By Alexa A.
In March of 2017, Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) received a Letter of Findings from the Department of Education detailing their violations of Title IX (a law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex), including failure to provide “a prompt and equitable response to notice of peer sexual harassment” (ED, 2017). A survey was administered to high school students in the spring of... Read More
Social Science
Bridging the Gap in Pediatric Palliative Care for Terminally Ill Patients
By Avantika S.
Pediatric Oncologists come face to face with difficulty when it comes to working with families of terminally-ill patients. Even though many children with terminally-ill diseases should be given the same resources as adults to alleviate their pain, about “80% of children dying with cancer in this country are still suffering, and their symptoms are not being adequately palliated (Wolfe, 2000).... Read More
Social Science
Determining Correlation Between Pediatric Cancer and Mental Health Outcomes in Adult Survivors
By Isabella O.
In the U.S., an estimated 15,780 children under 19 are diagnosed with cancer each year, and there is a problem with lasting effects on survivors of pediatric cancer. Despite the fact that most survivors remain healthy for decades, the mental and psychological effects of past treatment and experience still exist. This problem has negatively impacted victims of pediatric cancer because of... Read More
Social Science
Educational Inequality in Lower Income Communities in the Bay Area
By Gaurav T.
The economic increase of the Bay Area due to the growth of the tech sector has lead to unparalleled wealth across the Bay Area. Despite this growth, that wealth has not been spread evenly across the Bay Area and there are many communities across the Bay Area that are considered low income. Across the US and the rest of the world, economic inequality often leads to a discrepancies in... Read More
Social Science
Effectiveness of Academic Support/Resources post DreamCatchers
By Katherine B.
Dreamcatchers is a tutoring resource for low-income middle school students in PAUSD. This year, Dreamcatchers does not have plans to inform parents of the academic resources available to their children in/outside of PAUSD when they can no longer attend Dreamcatchers.This project aims to give these parents information on these resources and give them a pre and post-survey to evaluate the... Read More
Social Science
Gender Equality in Sports Leadership & Athletic Participation
By Neive W.
This research project answers the question: To what extent is there a gender gap in sports leadership (coaches) and athletic participation (student-athletes) in Palo Alto, and how do the reasons that girls start and stop playing organized sports differ from boys? In this study of Palo Alto high school students, quantitative and qualitative data was collected through a survey to determine how... Read More
Social Science
Homelessness and the Opportunity Center of Palo Alto
By Ellie W.
Due to a myriad of factors, there exists a major and growing issue with the cost of housing in the Bay Area and the places people can go if they cannot afford rent. Palo Alto is no exception, with rampant NIMBYism and homelessness being a prevalent problem that too often is dismissed. There are many volunteer and nonprofit opportunities within Palo Alto, but this project focuses on the... Read More
Social Science
Identifying the Connection Between Low Wages and Obesity in Santa Clara County
By Dara H.
This project focuses on some of the causes of obesity. The research will focus on the correlation between wages in Santa Clara County and what solutions may be implemented to help lower the obesity rate. The problem of obesity is extensive and needs to be resolved as higher BMI rates can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and many types of cancer. The obesity rate in the Santa Clara County... Read More
Social Science
Impact of Anti-Vaccination Movement on Public Understanding of Science
By Lauren Y.
Despite decades of scientific research, many still have reservations about the safety, efficacy and morality of immunization. However, most of these reservations are based off of false or incorrectly interpreted information. Through research on the spread of this information, this project aims to help educators better understand why and how this information is spread, and what can be changes... Read More
Social Science
Impact of Music Education on the Achievement Gap
By Prahalad M.
Numerous studies have shown that students who learn musical instruments perform better at certain executive functioning tests. At the same time, schools in low-income neighborhoods are cutting their art and music programs due to a lack of funding. This research project aims to answer whether the disparity in access to music education between low-income and wealthy students affects the... Read More
Social Science
Impact of One-on-One Meetings for Low-Income PAUSD Families about A-G Requirements
By Chloe L.
Despite PAUSD's stellar reputation, only about 37% of low-income students in PAUSD are meeting A-G requirements and are deemed “college ready” and eligible for UCs. Not meeting A-G requirements makes it significantly harder for students to receive a college education and rise out of poverty. Parent communication and involvement has been proven to positively impact students, so this project... Read More
Social Science
Impact of Online Resources on Math Achievement in Middle School
By Jay R.
This project attempts to determine the ways in which middle schoolers use technology in relation to their education and build on those foundations to positively impact their math achievement. This project will survey students and hold focus groups with their teachers to determine the best ways to support them. Based on these two sources of input, additional online resources will be recommended... Read More
Social Science
Improved Inclusion Between Students in General Education and Students Receiving Special Education Services at Palo Alto High School
By Rachel L.
This project aims to investigate behavioral tactics and best practices for peer relationships between students in general education and students in special education at Palo Alto High School. Through action and needs-assessment research, a resource packet will be compiled of best practices discovered by conducting co-teacher and special education professional interviews. This resource will... Read More
Social Science
Improving Sun Protection Through Education and Access-Based Interventions
By Anna T.
A deadly and common disease with a simple solution: skin cancer. Certain groups, such as low-income or dark-skinned groups, are particularly susceptible to the development of skin cancer due to lack of access to sun protection or lack of education about sun protection. An educational intervention has been found to increase the likelihood of future sun protection. The hypothesis was that... Read More
Social Science
Performance and game factors influencing the fluctuating ticket prices of NBA games
By Katherine C.
Dynamic pricing has been in effect with airline companies and other industries for many years but has relatively recently been applied to sporting events. In order to maximize revenue, many teams use dynamic pricing, which depends upon a variety of factors. This project aims to find the factors that most affect a change in price, as well as develop the ideal algorithm that maximizes a team's... Read More
Social Science
Process and Impact of Reporting Sexual Assaults in a University Setting
By Malia C.
One in 5 women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted in college but over 90% of college sexual assault victims do not report the assault (National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 2018). Despite protocols put in place by universities to make reporting sexual assaults more efficient and effective, a lack of reporting is occurring. This will be researched using action research, a needs based... Read More
Social Science
Reading Programs’ Effects on the Achievement Gap
By Sashinka P.
This paper explores the causes, impacts, and attempted solutions of literacy development and the literacy achievement gap between students from historically underrepresented ethnic groups and students from other ethnic groups. It details the plan for a study that would research features in literacy programs and how they affect this achievement gap, as well as how effective these features are... Read More
Social Science
Shoe Startup Viability Within Their Respective Markets
By Manu T.
Over the past few decades, the shoe market has become one of the hardest markets to break through. Mega-companies such as Adidas and Nike have become so large that they crush out any new opposition, resulting in a monopoly. Many times, these top brands don’t necessarily have the highest quality or best looking shoe, but still manage to make the most profit, raising the question of why the top... Read More
Social Science
Socioeconomic, Achievement Gap and University Enrolment
By Nicole B.
Many students from Latin and African American backgrounds will become first-generation students once they reach a four-year university. The first generation group is defined as a group of students who will be the first in their families to go to college. While they make up 30% of a college class, many families lack the resources to be educated on what they need to make it to a four-year... Read More
Social Science
Stereotype Threat and Self-Affirmation in PAUSD
By Kobi J.
This project will examine how stereotype threat affects historically underrepresented minority students in the PAUSD middle schools. The project examines how negative stereotypes about the ethnicity of a student causes that student to perform worse in school. The project also evaluates a potential curriculum to address this issue, self-affirmation curriculum, which promotes the individual... Read More
Social Science
Strategies on Ending Child Marriage
By Tyler V.
Child marriage, or “any formal marriage or informal union where one or both of the parties are under 18 years of age,” is a human rights violation and must be stopped. What strategies to end child marriage have been the most impactful thus far? Moving forward, how can/should organizations dedicated to ending child marriage refocus their efforts? Is there opportunity for them to work more... Read More
Social Science
System 1 and System 2 Persuasion Tactics and Their Impacts on Secondary School Absenteeism
By Aditya M.
Chronic absenteeism: the state of lacking 10% or more of school days in a given academic year, has been an issue for as long as modern education. In 2016-2017, approximately 7 million students (16% of all students) were chronically absent. Henry M. Gunn High School has a ~5% chronic absentee rate, with some of those figures contributed by the aptly named "strategic absentees": those who cut a... Read More
Social Science
The Impact of Community Gardening on Nutrition and Eating Habits
By Kate O'C.
This project will examine the impact of community gardening on eating practices in low-income communities. Currently, research suggests that a large disparity in healthy food practices exists between the levels of healthy eating practices in high and low-income communities, with dangerous health ramifications. Community gardens, pieces of land gardened and developed by a community of... Read More
Social Science
The Influence of Social Media on Teenagers' Perceptions of Healthy Relationships
By Zoë W.
This research study is aiming to determine whether social media has any negative effects on teenagers' perceptions of what healthy relationships are. It is important that teenagers understand what healthy and unhealthy relationships are so they can keep themselves and their peers safe. By hosting workshops and administering pre- and post-workshop surveys, the study will collect qualitative... Read More
Social Science
The Internets Affect on the Purposes of Public Libraries and Demographics of Their Visitors
By Yunhao Y.
As the internet develops and becomes the primary information source for most people, the functions of public libraries tend to be overlooked. However, public libraries have its importance to the communities, as it encourages literacy and provides an academic environment for studying. This research aims to gather opinions of librarians from different public libraries, from whom we are able to... Read More
Social Science
The Perceived Safety of Girls in Palo Alto
By Lilli C.
This project is based on finding differences between boys and girls perceived safety. If there is one, why? And how can they be made to feel safer? To collect data, girls and boys will be surveyed to determine if there is a difference between their answers. This survey is the basis of the project and will lead to action research. Following the survey, participants will receive a hand out “... Read More
Social Science
The Relationship Between a Culture of Happiness, Mental Health, and Emotional Health Among Silicon Valley Youth
By Emily C.
There have been studies on the negative effects of the modern culture of happiness on mental health, as well as the correlation between mental and emotional health. However, no one has ever studied how all three factors are interrelated, especially in a technology hub like Silicon Valley, where optimism and positive attitudes are especially strong. Given the views held toward negative emotions... Read More
Social Science
Volunteerism and Veterans' Morale
By Kaitlin M.
The aim of this project is to increase veteran morale in the Palo Alto community. Through research it has been determined that high levels of patriotism is correlated with high levels of veteran morale. Patriotism is a very broad concept that is hard to define. Therefore, a previously identified component of patriotism will be studied. When a nationwide survey was done regarding patriotism in... Read More
Social Science
Why Students in a High Achieving Suburban High School Do Not Seek Mental Health Support
By Samantha L.
While the discussion of mental health is becoming increasingly normalized, it can still be a sensitive topic. Gunn High School offers many resources and programs that promote mental health awareness. However, according to the Wellness Center at school, many students still refrain from discussing their mental health issues, such as anxiety, stress, or depression, with professionals. But why?... Read More
STEAM
4ai: Accessibilty Nonprofit
By Ashley P. and Cathy H.
15% of the Earth's population, or one billion people worldwide, have a disability. Despite a diverse community, people with disabilities face discrimination in various facets of life. Employment discrimination against people with disabilities includes varied workplaces, including the field of AI. This research project has lead to the founding of 4ai, a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit that aims... Read More
STEAM
Are Chatbots More Effective in Engaging with Autistic Individuals between 13 and 18 years old in Comparison to Therapists conducting Psychotherapy?
By Zachary F.
This research project is going to determine the effectiveness of social chatbot. Autistic users are individuals that have challenges in communicating verbally or socially with surrounding people. This is because autistic individuals tend to talk about particular topics that only they are interested in, which is sometimes difficult for others to keep up. However, a chatbot can more likely... Read More
STEAM
Causes, Effects, and Solutions to Groundwater Depletion in California
By Tanvi R.
Across California, groundwater in aquifers, or underground water reservoirs, has been depleting at a very high rate. This is primarily due to the over-pumping of groundwater from aquifers for irrigation and municipal use. Such depletion has lasting and negative effects on both human and wildlife populations. This research project will investigate the causes and rate of groundwater depletion,... Read More
STEAM
Designing a Sustainable Residential House that Incorporates Palo Alto’s Climate and Environment to Reduce Utility Fees
By Hyunah R.
There is a problem with the utility rates going up annually in Palo Alto. In order to support the utility companies that are trying to upgrade and rebuild their water and gas systems for beneficial reasons, Palo Alto, a customer for these companies, is required to contribute to the project's cost. When coupled with increased rates in every utility component, the average residential utility... Read More
STEAM
Extrachromosomal DNA in Biofluids: A Biomarker of Cancer?
By Yuhui W.
About one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives (“Cancer Statistics,” 2018). Yet, the mutation that caused the tumor’s formation may differ from one patient to another. My research focuses on how extrachromosomal DNA in biofluids can serve as biomarkers in cancer. Sequencing the mutation from ecDNA is a less-invasive detection method with high accuracy in... Read More
STEAM
Harnessing the Power of the Ocean: Designing a Portable and Efficient Wave Energy Converter
By Isabel S.
The ocean is full of unharnessed, clean energy. For the past two years, I've been engineering a device that generates electricity from the power of waves. My goal is to make an efficient, small-scale, and easy-to-use prototype for people without access to electricity. I've built many prototypes and tested them in the ocean - this year I'm focusing on improving durability so I can test for... Read More
STEAM
HPV Vaccine Safety, Treatments, and Usage
By Ayaka S.
In the United States, over 14 million people are getting infected with HPV every year. HPV, Human Papillomavirus, is a common sexually transmitted disease among women and men. This research project will go in-depth about the safety and severe side effects of the vaccine, although it only happens very rarely, and the frequency in which it occurs. This research will also cover different medical... Read More
STEAM
Identifying Sequence Elements in the 5’UTR of mRNA that correlate with Translational Efficiency in H.Capsulatum
By Annika V.
Histoplasmosis is the largest endemic fungal infection in North America caused by H. Capsulatum. It affects 250,000 people every year in the U.S.A with a mortality rate of 5% to 8%. Currently there are no drugs that are specially manufactured to treat Histoplasmosis. Determining the factors that influence protein production in the yeast form of H. Capsulatum is the key to finding methods to... Read More
STEAM
Impact of Paris Climate Accords on CO2/GHG Emissions: Comparative Study of U.K. and Canada to Determine Best Practices
By Ryan P.
The Paris climate agreement, created in 2016 by the UNFCCC, created a goal to reduce global emissions by 80% by 2050. The U.K. and Canada are developed countries expected to lead these efforts. Both countries have released climate action plans to combat climate change. This research project will aim to determine their actions' effectiveness in combating climate change by measuring the... Read More
STEAM
Indoor pollution and cooking
By Jane L.
This research project is about indoor pollution and cooking. Today, about 4.6 million people die each year due to air pollution. Air pollution can be linked to many different types of diseases. One of the most serious diseases is lung cancer. This project will address indoor pollution that is caused by cooking and may be linked to lung cancer. An experiment will be conducted to test the amount... Read More
STEAM
Infrared Sensor on Arduino Self-Driving Car
By Kevin B.
This research project will focus on constructing a self-driving model car using a Raspberry Pi along with infrared and ultrasound sensors. The infrared sensors are used to specifically detect heat sources, which simulate living creatures in the path of the car, while the ultrasound sensors are used to determine the actual distance between the object and the car. In the end, the car is expected... Read More
STEAM
Managing Flood Damage for East Palo Alto
By Siddhant A.
The San Francisquito Creek of East Palo Alto flooded 20 years ago, costing millions of dollars in damage costs. The most common method of flood management is building levees or walls to prevent the water from escaping the creek. However, many city or state government programs ignore factors such as climate change and unintended consequences such as flooding upstream of the newly build levees.... Read More
STEAM
Musical Machine Learning
By Nicholas C.
Recent work in the computer science field of music information retrieval (MIR) has demonstrated the ability of machine learning to analyze and automatically generate musical phrases, lyrics, and accompaniments. The goal of this research project is to implement techniques in an optimized, web-accessible interface. By providing initial direction for the music, the machine learning model(s) would... Read More
STEAM
Role Of Phagocytosis In The Treatment Of Brain Tumors
By Aarti M.
Lack of knowledge of underlying biology and effective treatments for brain tumors, remains an unmet medical need. Recent reports suggest that phagocytosis, in which a type of immune cells, called macrophages, engulf foreign bodies, may have a role in treating brain tumors. The objectives of this project were to grow brain tumor cell lines and establish the optimal growth conditions; and then... Read More
STEAM
The Challenges of Creating an Environmentally Sustainable Company: with a Focus on the Reduction of Plastic Waste
By Maxwell C.
Despite the many growing pollution issues that our world is facing, environmental sustainability has been avoided and overlooked in most companies for reasons largely unknown. Countless companies have already attempted to integrate environmental sustainability into their products, but only a few have succeeded. This research project will conduct interviews with eco-friendly companies to reveal... Read More
STEAM
The Effect of Surface Contouring on Capacitive Computer Keyboard Sensitivity
By Ethan C.
Capacitive keyboards are known to be extremely tolerant of harsh working environments, yet are notoriously difficult to type on. This project explores the feasibility of a contoured capacitive keyboard surface that enhances a user's ability to locate their fingers on the keyboard, thus improving the overall typing experience. A series of CAD models are created and used to construct a set of... Read More
STEAM
The Effectiveness of the Autism Superpower Glasses on Blind Individuals
By Lauren C.
This research project focuses on the effectiveness of the Autism Superpower Glasses on blind individuals. A team at Stanford University developed the Autism Superpower Glass, which is a wearable technology that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help children with autism recognize facial emotions. The goal of this project is to determine how successful the glasses are on a... Read More
STEAM
The Effects of Priming on Object Localization in the Visual Field
By Edmund L.
Research has shown that humans have individual locational visual perception differences, such that individual subjects will make repeated similar errors when attempting to locate points in the same relative position in their visual field. Individual differences in object localization allow us to generate a localization map specific to users, which has been done in the past. This project takes... Read More
STEAM
The use of Angiogenesis to treat Myocardial Infarction Injury
By Jason L.
Myocardial Infarction, also known as a heart attack, is a fatal heart condition that affects many people in the U.S. Caused by blocked arteries or veins, which limits blood flow to the heart, the result is massive tissue death even after resuscitation. The death of cardiac tissue weakens the heart muscle and leaves the victims open to heart diseases and secondary heart attacks, lowering their... Read More
STEAM
Understanding gut bacteria’s effect on the onset of neurodegenerative diseases
By Wendy X. and Christine Z.
This research project will study the connection between the gut microbiome alterations and contributing proteins, such as Tau and beta-amyloid, alpha-synuclein, and Huntingtin, analyzing their specific structure and function in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases respectively. Previous studies have shown a possible relationship between gut microbiome bacteria and the eventual... Read More
STEAM
Using Melanoma Drug Treatment Data to Extract Clinical Insights
By Jenny S.
Melanoma affects over 100,000 Americans every year. We can combine more granular insights from single cell biology with clinical information from bulk RNA sequencing data. Using drug-labelled single cell data alongside melanoma clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) we extract promising general and drug response specific gene markers and examine their relationship with patient... Read More
Humanities
Benefits of Teens Maintaining a Paid Job in Silicon Valley, California
By Brooke M.
In this day and age, many adolescents view work to be a drag. On the contrary, maintaining a job through adolescence is so much more than what meets the eye. In fact, what you don’t see is all the skills an adolescent gains to become a functioning member of society. The adult-like environment not only prepares adolescents for the future but teaches them firsthand how to succeed in the... Read More
Humanities
A Personal Memoir
By Rachel S.
Words are how we express ourselves; they are how we connect with others and ourselves. This year, I composed a series of intertwined short stories that are based largely on my own experiences. These stories helped me come to terms with who I am now and how the years leading up to now(both key events and buried memories) impact the way I make decisions and navigate relationships with others.... Read More
Humanities
Bystander Wariness: Gender-Based Behavioral Reaction to Bystander Response Laws and Victim Profiles
By Quentin S.
In this world, many people consider themselves “Good Samaritans”—bystanders who would be willing to help victims in an emergency situation. Especially if paramedic response time is slow, this aid can be the difference between life and death. However, relatively few victims actually receive bystander support in any form on the streets, and it can vary significantly depending on a victim’s... Read More
Humanities
Displaying and Selling Art Made by San Quentin Death Row Inmates
By Maddy W.
Currently, there are 2.3 million people incarcerated in the United States and 4.6 million people living under probation. Displaying and selling art made by the prisoners can be an effective strategy in tackling mass incarceration and rising recidivism rates. This research project has acquired 100+ pieces of artwork created by men living on San Quentin’s Death Row. The goal of this project is... Read More
Humanities
Politics of Alto High School Social Justice Students
By Hannah S.
This research project will study the social justice pathway and political polarization. The research will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will be an experiment measuring the blind party alliance of students and then conducting interviews with the teachers of the classes. The least blind party alliance and finding will show how teachers create classrooms where students feel... Read More
Humanities
The Location of the Tank Transmission Over Time
By Nick M.
This research project will analyze the location of the transmission of the tank transmission over the interwar to world war two period. Over that period time, the transmission location on most tanks was not consistent even between generational upgrades, so research teams must have found a reason why. This project will investigate the reasons for the transmission being where it is throughout... Read More
Humanities
The Role of Democracy in 2020 Taiwanese Presidential Election
By Yi-Jie T.
Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China, has been involved in cross-straits relations issues with mainland China, with each government laying formal claim to the island. Despite these ongoing issues, Taiwan was able to sustain its democratic idealism in the past thirty years through the presidential voting system. In the recent 2020 election, many democratic issues surfaced and in turn... Read More
Humanities
Unattainable Standards: How Fashion and Body Type Trends Create an Unrealistic Idea of Beauty
By Erin V.
In our society, there is constant and universal pressure to look a certain way. The standard of attractiveness that impacts people now, however, has varied drastically since the start of the 20th century. Interestingly, fashion trends correlate with body types considered desireable throughout time, cementing of the standard of beauty with every change. This project focuses on the portrayal of... Read More
Humanities
Voter Turnout Among Young Adults in Palo Alto
By Zoe S.
In all recent Presidential elections, young people under 25 have voted at lower rates than other ages. This is problematic because it means that young people's voices are less represented in government's policies and officials. To combat this issue, the researcher developed a "mini-lesson" that was presented to two 11th grade U.S. History classes at Palo Alto High School, educating students... Read More