Research that Connects to Community
Life Pays Off
by Dr. Charlotte K. Frank & Phyllis
Frankfort
Over 1400 New York City high school students recently created
innovative proposals ranging from recommending health report
cards to prevent obesity among students in New York City schools,
to a policy solution to help solve the city's housing crisis,
to creating a youth activism campaign to stop companies from
sending jobs overseas. These research-based solutions were
submitted to the Quality of Life Competition last April in
response to the question: "What would you do to improve
the quality of life?" Scholarships, awards and implementation
grants totaling $45,500 were awarded to students recently at
The McGraw-Hill Companies.
Student quality of life proposals
were based on library research, independent field research,
and consultation with experts. Their topics focused on health
care (22 percent), environmental issues (18 percent), education
(17 percent), neighborhood concerns (17 percent), and immigration
(7 percent), among other topics. Second prizewinner, Samantha
Scully of Sheepshead Bay High School, was excited because
she "was able to conduct a
scientific bacterial growth experiment for the first time!" Semifinalists
Gloria Lee and Esther Lee of Hunter College High School reported, "We
were both really able to see how public policy is made in response
to a city's needs." Mayor Bloomberg, recognizing the importance
of the ideas proposed by youth, signed certificates of achievement
for students.
The $17,500 first prize went to senior, Inna Guzenfeld, of
Stuyvesant High School for her proposal to combat AIDS-related
stigma in high schools. Guzenfeld proposes a bold new program
that brings HIV-positive speakers into high school classrooms,
as well as a guide that will help teachers create an atmosphere
of greater tolerance within schools. Inna's plan is being given
to the Department of Education.
The precedent for making a real difference in New York City
has been set by students throughout the program's nine-year
history. Implemented proposals to prevent bullying, improve
relationships between minority teens and the police, bridge
the digital generation divide, remodel school bathrooms to
meet health code regulations, and promote awareness of prostate
cancer, among others, have made a difference in the lives of
New Yorkers. Thousands of students are benefiting from a proposal
that recommended free Princeton Review SAT prep courses for
low-income students to create a level playing field. The Peter
Jay Sharp Foundation has generously funded this proposal for
four years at a cost of over $1 million dollars.
The Quality of Life Program, managed by Working In Support
of Education (WISE), works in partnership with over 50 community
agencies and 75 schools, and has served approximately 8,000
students and awarded over $300,000 in college scholarships.
To find out more about this innovative and successful initiative,
contact the Quality of Life Program at 212-421-2700.#
Dr. Charlotte K. Frank is a Sr.
V.P. at McGraw-Hill Education & member
of the WISE Board of Directors. Phyllis Frankfort is President & CEO
of WISE.
