Delaney Rice, age 17 High Tech High School, Secaucus, NJ Teacher: Vanessa Medina I identified the importance of face masks and the unfortunate harm they cause the environment. We all need to wear masks during Covid-19, but the traditional surgical mask is not recyclable or biodegradable. This is an issue for everyone because it adds...

Michael Valadez-Barba, age 15 Granada Hills Charter High School, Granada Hills, CA Teacher: Jackie Ying A person who is deaf, hard of hearing, or has hearing loss may struggle to catch important announcements in public places such as fire alarms, airplane announcements, etc. These situations can be very stressful, frustrating, and even life-threatening. My design...

Priya Agarwal, age 17, and Anika Agnihotri, age 16 Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering, Rockaway, NJ A lack of representation in media has been a consistent problem within our society. Underrepresented family structures, such as LGBTQ+ couples or multiracial families, are rarely portrayed. Children in these families often feel excluded when they cannot identify...

Skye Peterson, age 18 Communications High School, Wall Township, NJ Teacher: Laura Fallon The placement and naming of “feminine napkin” dispensers can be harmful to transgender men. Even if they are found in men’s restrooms, they are typically located in the common area which would reveal the person’s identity as transgender. The Accessible Hygiene Product...

Yara Samad, age 15, and Naira Younas, age 16 Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto, CA Underrepresented minority groups are undervalued in the workforce resulting in a largely untapped reservoir of skill. Women, people of color, and people with accessibility needs face discrimination in the hiring process. This problem was experienced firsthand when my...

Heath Chancey, age 17 Berkeley Preparatory School, Tampa, FL The homeless miss many of the common necessities that we take for granted when they become separated from a domestic sphere. The conditions of poverty make it difficult to participate in a safe and healthy lifestyle. Getting out of the cycle is a daunting task without...

Isabella Choi, age 16 Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ Teacher: Scott Lang Countless people of diverse backgrounds feel isolated in America, and miss a sense of inclusivity because of the lack of visual indicators of their culture and identity. The lack of visual exposure leads to ignorance, feelings of exclusion, and the need to “fit...

Norah de León, age 14 Brownsboro High School, Brownsboro, TX Teacher: Courtney Elmore LGBTQ+ people may feel excluded or misunderstood by doctors, counselors, and therapists who aren’t trained to aid with their struggles or who are close-minded and treat them unfairly. They may also feel ignored due to the fact that some schools ignore the...

Taylor Fang, age 17, and Hsar Sar Lwin, age 18 Logan High School, Logan, Utah We have struggled with language barriers growing up that have made it difficult to form friendships and a sense of community. English as a Second Language (ESL) students are separated from the rest of the school—further leading to exclusionary labels...

Dara Girel-Mats, age 16 Design and Architecture Senior High, Miami, FL In Miami, the city attempts to control sanitary problems downtown, however, it doesn’t address the challenge that the homeless face with hygiene. The homeless have their dignity stripped away because there are not enough public spaces that include showers and bathrooms or allow access...

Julia Kacur, age 17 Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ Teacher: Scott Lang Homelessness, and in particular anti-homeless architecture and design, makes people feel excluded by pushing the homeless out of public places and moving the issue outside of the public consciousness. Homelessness is not only an obstacle for those who are directly impacted by it,...

Mohen Li, age 17 Radnor High School, Wayne, PA A major obstacle to inclusion is the lack of understanding of different cultures. Children are often fed false stereotypes about other cultures, leading to a harmful bias. Growing up as an Asian American, I have experienced this in the form of jokes and stereotyping, resulting in...

Lila Nathanson, age 18, and Adriana Poznanski, age 18 Communications High School, Wall Township, NJ Teacher: Laura Fallon People of all genders may feel discouraged with skincare and beauty products that aren’t catered to them. In a growing world of non-binary gender identification, people need to feel accepted now more than ever. Users might feel...

Sasha Palmer, age 17, Marlea Rust, age 17, and Lucy Sheerin, age 17 Springfield High School, Springfield, OR, Thurston High School, Springfield, OR, and South Eugene High School, Eugene, OR Feeling isolated and like you don’t belong is a common obstacle in high schools. We observed in three different schools how these feelings can feed...

Robin Paul, age 14, and Abel Vayalinkal, age 14 Granada Charter High School, Granada Hills, CA Teacher: Jackie Ying Prisoners face exclusion because they are not able to talk with others about subjects in the news and aren’t able to get jobs because of a skills deficit. This makes it hard for them to reintegrate...