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!
Breast is Best: Engaging the Community to Improve Maternal-Infant Health in Haiti
Problem Statement Breastfeeding saves more lives than any other preventive intervention. The low prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in Haiti contributes to a high incidence of diarrhea, pneumonia, and the protein deficiency disease kwashiorkor, and a mortality rate of 8.7% for children under five. Promoting exclusive breastfeeding could save thousands in …
Learning for Life: What Role Can Schools Play in Developing Self-Confidence in Adolescent Girls?
As girls enter adolescence they experience a loss in self-confidence and begin to censor their opinions and experiences. As Brown and Gilligan explain in Meeting at the Crossroads, “Women tended to speak of themselves as living in connection with others and yet described a relational crisis which was inherently paradoxical: …
Our Nation’s Orphans: Finding Families for Children Who Do Not Want to Grow Up Without One
I recommend re-directing federal and state government funds that are allocated towards the foster care system towards spreading awareness about the number of foster youth in our country who are seeking permanent adoptive homes and targeting families to see their role in adopting eligible foster youth into their homes if …
Rejuvenating Geriatrics: Rethinking the American Geriatric Society’s Approach to Advocacy for Geriatric Medicine
The current problem facing the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is recruitment of medical students into geriatric medicine. The AGS must convince Federal policy-makers to create financial incentives for geriatricians. Financial burdens discourage medical students from specializing in geriatric medicine. The American Geriatrics Society must continue to advocate for geriatricians because …
The Fiercest Preschool War in the Nation: An Adaptive Analysis of Pre-Kindergarten in North Carolina
North Carolina is facing a crisis in its early childhood education system. The state legislature approved a 20% funding cut to its successful pre-kindergarten program for at-risk youth, NC Pre-K, formerly known as More at Four. On a local level, the Durham’s Partnership for Children has four options to counteract …
Adoption vs. Foster Care: Why permanent adoptive homes are better for foster youth than remaining in the system
Research Question: What are the benefits for foster children who have been freed to be adopted into permanent homes rather than remain in the system until they eventually age out?