Previous Student Guided Research Projects
Thwahir Malafu '28
How do socio-economic, cultural, and infrastructural factors influence the implementation of the Competecy-Based Curriculum (CBC) in low-income, rural families in Musembe, Western Kenya.
“My favorite part of this research project was definitely connecting directly with the community stakeholders—students, parents, and teachers alike. It was incredibly inspiring to hear their stories, witness their resilience firsthand, and discover their innovative ways of navigating the challenges presented by CBC. Watching community members volunteer their time and expertise freely in schools, determined to positively impact students’ lives, was genuinely moving. Equally memorable were my conversations with young students—I was amazed to discover how deeply thoughtful and opinionated they were about their education and futures.”
Ava Reichman '26
Are there civic messages in California middle school recommended reading?
“During My research I have enjoyed reading books and observing how the types of recommended books have changed since I was in middle school.”
Kaitlyn Chang '27
To what extent does the quality of a citizen’s education affect their civic engagement later in life? In what ways do educational disparities in the Hawai’i cause a disengaged populace, perpetuate inequality, and discourage civic engagement/ political enfranchisement?
“I enjoy that I have the freedom to research a topic that I am passionate about. I have been thinking about the relationship between educational inequality, political agency, and civic engagement for a while but have not had the opportunity to research it in depth until now.”
Oscar Ponteri '27
Scope: I am synthesizing pre-existing research on nonpartisan voter communications. Using studies on the efficacy of different messages and mediums, I created a toolkit with example communications that CIVES could use to increase turnout on campus in the upcoming 2024 election.
“My favorite part of this project has been exploring different sources and reading all the research on voter turnout and messaging that has already been done.”
