Student Projects
The Hart Leadership Program has a long history of exemplary student work, and we are proud to showcase here a selection of student research projects, internships, and honors theses dating back to 2011. Below, you can explore nearly 400 student projects, filtering by project type, Hart program affiliated with the project, thematic topics, project locations, and project years. The database does not provide the full text of students' projects, but it does provide abstracts of student work wherever available, as well as more information including students' class year and, when applicable, the name of the community partner organization a student worked with to conduct their internship or research. We will continue to expand the database as our students continue conducting phenomenal projects. In the meantime, use the search function below to explore our incredible students' work, and get inspired!
Archaeology in the Holy Land: A Weapon of History, Representation, and Politics
I am writing to you as a concerned global citizen regarding the current status of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and its effects on the global heritage sites in the city of Jerusalem. Since even before the establishment of the state of Israel, the global community has been involved in the excavation, …
Barriers to Mental Health Services for Domestic Violence Survivors
Problem Statement Referral to outside services remains the most common practice of North Carolina domestic violence shelters and agencies for addressing mental health issues among survivors. However, practitioners estimate that only 5-20% of survivors actually receive services. This number is low considering 47.6% suffer from depression, 63.8% have PTSD, 17.9% …
Closing the Imaginative Gap: Linking Civically Engaged Students with Careers of High Social Impact
Currently, over a quarter of graduating Duke seniors accept jobs in the consulting or financial services (C&F) industries. These students overwhelmingly cite their employment decision as one motivated by financial and psychological security, and plan to work long-term in high social-impact careers. For a university which has a strong stated …
DREAMing is Believing: Achieving In-State Tuition for Undocumented Youth
Problem Statement As immigration reform climbs to the forefront of the Congressional agenda following the resounding demands of the Latino constituency, it is crucial that we examine the work that remains to be done to remove inequality from our federal education system, particularly at the level of higher education. Of …
El Sistema in America: Improving Access to Music Education for Our Nation’s Most Underprivileged Youth
Problem Statement Since 1975, the El Sistema movement in Venezuela has utilized government funding to provide free classical music education for over two million children in poverty. Though El Sistema-inspired programs in the United States have emerged in recent years, the El Sistema USA movement lacks long-term sustainability due to …
Facing Discrimination and Deportation: Ending State-Sponsored Discrimination Against Latino Immigrants in America
Background Information: The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) expanded its partnership with local police forces nationwide through the 287(g) program enacted in 2004. The 287(g) program allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to delegate investigation and detention powers to participating local police forces. Currently ICE has 287(g) …