market research projects for high school students

Top Virtual Research Opportunities for High School Students

By Jin Chow

Co-founder of Polygence, Forbes 30 Under 30 for Education

14 minute read

For high school students interested in diving deep into a subject area they are passionate about, virtual research opportunities are a great way to get started.

Virtual research programs have the advantages of being more accessible and affordable than on-campus research. In this list, we’ve identified outstanding research opportunities which can be completed entirely online. They vary in subject matter from STEM, to the humanities, to entrepreneurship, and they vary in length from a single week to an entire academic year, so there is something for everyone’s interests and desired time commitment.

The vast majority of these programs also offer scholarships to help make them accessible to low-income and underrepresented students. Read on to find out about the best virtual research opportunities available for teens in 2023-2024.

As eligibility requirements, deadlines, and costs may fluctuate year to year, it is best to view the specific websites of any programs you’re interested in to ensure you’re viewing the most current information available.

Opportunities are listed alphabetically in ascending order, based on the hosting institution.

24 Virtual Online Program Opportunities for High Schoolers

1. crowdmath.

Hosting institutions: Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) Online

Financial aid: N/A

Duration: One year

College credit: No

Eligibility: High schoolers and college students with advanced math preparation

A collaboration between MIT PRIMES and the Art of Problem Solving, CrowdMath is a large-scale collaborative mathematical research project which tackles unsolved problems in a different field of math every year. This community is free to join and within it, students become a part of a community of brilliant peers and top-tier mentors from MIT. This polymath project sometimes leads to results which are published under a collective pseudonym. This is a premiere online community of the world’s best young mathematicians and a perfect opportunity to gain experience in collaborative math research.

Explore Polygence’s list of Math research and passion project ideas for high school students

2. Summer Program

Hosting institution: AwesomeMath

Cost: $1,075-$1,375 per course, depending on enrollment period and payment date

Financial aid: None

Duration: Three weeks

Eligibility: All high school students

AwesomeMath offers an intensive online summer program for high schoolers who are advanced in math and seeking to train their problem solving skills for math competitions such as the AMC, AIME, or IMO. The summer program offers courses at four different skill levels across four subjects – Algebra, Combinatorics, Geometry, and Number Theory – during three sessions throughout the summer. This is an essential program for students seeking targeted training in advanced problem solving for math competitions beyond what their high school can provide.

3. BETA Camp Summer: Launch a Real Business in 4 Weeks

Hosting institution: BETA Camp

Cost: $3,000 (early bird pricing; can be broken into five installments of $600 each)

Financial aid: yes; partial scholarships are available on a needs-based basis

Duration: Four weeks

Eligibility: Ages 13-18

BETA Camp is a unique virtual entrepreneurship opportunity for ambitious and talented teens to turn their idea for a startup into a reality, through a combination of expert mentorship, a dynamic community of young entrepreneurs, and a rigorous business curriculum. In this MBA-inspired program, students will learn how to ideate, research, market, and pitch their startup to investors. BETA Camp alumni have gone on to raise millions of dollars in funding, secure internships with top global companies like TikTok, give TED talks, and more. Students will emerge from this program with improved skills in public speaking, leadership, and teamwork, which will prepare them to become the business leaders of tomorrow.

BETA Camp Junior is an 8-week program for students ages 10-13 to learn about careers in business and entrepreneurship.

The Polygence Pathfinders Program

Pathfinders is a career discovery mentorship experience designed to help you explore different career paths and gain more clarity about your future. Learn from three world class mentors in the fields of your choice and discover your passions!

4. Summer Academy for High School Students

Hosting institution: Boston Architectural College (BAC)

Cost: $1,200 (for early bird registration) or $1,500

Financial aid: Scholarships available

Duration: Four Weeks (July to August)

College credit: Yes; 11th and 12th graders may earn 1.5 credits upon program completion

Eligibility: 9th-12th graders, worldwide

This program is designed for students seeking hands-on experience in architecture, interior design, landscape design, and more. Virtual students explore case study buildings, take virtual tours, and receive a kit of materials and tools to allow them to conduct hands-on design work from home. All students gain access to cutting-edge design software, keep a sketchbook, build a digital and physical portfolio that can help them apply to college, and receive a 3D printing pen.

Explore Polygence’s list of Architecture research and passion project ideas for high school students

5. Leadership Institute

Hosting institution: Brown University

Cost: $5,313

Financial aid: Need-based and merit scholarships

Eligibility: Rising juniors, seniors, and college freshman

The Leadership Institute at Brown University provides high school students passionate about social justice the opportunity to turn their passion for social issues into action. Students in the program connect with a community of like-minded peers to discuss complex social issues and collaboratively brainstorm solutions to problems. This experience will sharpen students’ skills in active listening, problem-solving, conflict resolution, public speaking, and working as a team. At the end of the program, students take all that they have learned and create an original action plan which they can take back to their home community and use to make positive change.

Brown University also has a Summer@Brown Online program available to high school students who have completed grade 9 through 12 heading into the summer. Through this program, students may choose to enroll in 2, 3, 4, and 6-week courses on a wide variety of topics.

6. Pre-College Program

Hosting institution: Emory University College of Arts and Sciences

Cost: $3,135-$7,567 plus fees, depending on course length

Financial aid: Need-based scholarships available

Duration: Two, four, or six weeks

College credit: Yes, for six-week programs (three or four credits)

Eligibility: Grades 11 and 12

Emory’s Pre-College program offers over 100 courses each summer to high school students taught by experts in their fields, many of which can be taken online. Subject areas offered Summer 2023 included Social Justice: Activism and Co-optation, Readings in Pop Lit and Culture: The Harry Potter Phenomenon, Behavioral Biology, and American Crime Fiction. Students can choose to take two or four-week noncredit courses with fellow high school students, or six-week three or four credit courses with Emory undergraduates as their peers.

7. Economics for Leaders (EFL) Virtual

Hosting institution: Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE)

Cost: $800 plus $35 application processing fee

Financial aid: Scholarships available (typically ranging from $100-$400)

Duration: One week

College credit: Optional

Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors (apply during sophomore or junior year)

This competitive summer program is designed to teach high school students to integrate economic principles into their decision-making and shape them into effective public policy leaders. The program is taught by economics professors and leadership experts selected for their deep knowledge and effective teaching skills. Classes are interactive and involve group work as well as individual assignments. This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in research in economics and public policy.

EFL Virtual program participants have the option to pursue two undergraduate college credit hours through the University of Colorado .

Find out what high school students can do to prepare to pursue a degree in Economics

8. Medical Research Program

Hosting institution: Georgetown University

Cost: $1,495 - $1,795

Duration: One, two, and four-week sessions

Eligibility: Rising high school students and college freshman

Georgetown University offers a unique online research intensive for high school students interested in pursuing medical research in college. Through this program, students learn the clinical research process and the steps of evidence-based medicine (EBM), consider the ethics of medical research, develop their own study using professional methods, and learn how to convert their research study into an effective scientific publication. The mentorship, capstone project, and flexible learning model provided by this virtual experience are invaluable to any student interested in medical school and clinical research in the future.

Explore Polygence’s list of Medical research and passion project ideas for high school students

9. Secondary School Program (SSP) Online

Hosting institution: Harvard University Division of Continuing Education (DCE)

Cost: $3,700 per four credit course, plus $75 application fee

Financial aid: Need-based

Duration: Seven weeks

College credit: Yes

Eligibility: Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders

89% of high school students who have taken a summer course through Harvard’s Secondary School Program say that the experience helped them decide what they want to study in college. With over 200 courses to choose from, this program is a perfect opportunity to dive into college-level research on a topic of your interest with world-renowned faculty, from The Life and Death of Stars and their Planets to Comedy Sketch Writing.

Learn about additional Harvard University summer programs and opportunities for high school students  

10. Pre-College Summer Programs

Hosting institution: Johns Hopkins University

Cost: $1,950 (one credit), $562 (non-credit)

Financial aid: Scholarships available through Dean’s Fellowship

Duration: Two to ten weeks

Each summer, premiere research institute Johns Hopkins University offers a wide variety of online pre-college programs and courses to high school students. These online courses are self-paced while also incorporating live instruction and offered at a range of time frames, so that students can easily fit them into their busy summer schedules. While offering courses in all subjects, the Johns Hopkins Pre-College Summer Program has particularly unique and hands-on opportunities for students interested in medicine, such as Medical School Intensive and Introduction to Surgery.

11. Hands-On Programs for Teens and Kids

Hosting institution: New York Film Academy (NYFA)

Cost: $325 (single weekend); $2,625 (four-week summer filmmaking camp)

Duration: Weekend

Eligibility: Ages 14-17

The New York Film Academy offers online weekend programs for teens in filmmaking, acting for film, and 3D animation. NYFA youth programs help students understand the language of cinema and learn how to create a film from the storyboard to the editing bay and you can participate from the comfort of your own home. For students whose research interests lie with film, this is an experience you don’t want to miss!

NYFA’s four-week summer filmmaking camp is an immersive, hands-on experience for teens. In this camp, participants create three short films as they learn about different elements of the filmmaking process.

12. College Preparation Program

Hosting institution: Northwestern University

Cost:  $5,407 (for credit courses)

Duration: Three to ten weeks

Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors

Northwestern University, an R1 research university in Chicago, offers a robust catalog of online courses for high school upperclassmen which earn students college credit. From a Linguistics course on Meaning to an Anthropology course on Human Origins, there are so many interesting course options to choose from, all of which are taught by Northwestern faculty who treat pre-college students with the same attention and care as their undergraduate students.

Northwestern University also has two-week, non-credit online e-FOCUS courses in the summer that are available to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

13. International Summer School for Young Physicists (ISSYP)

Hosting institution: Perimeter Institute

Cost: $250 CAD

Duration: Two weeks

College Credit: No

Eligibility: Grades 11-12

For more than 20 years, ISSYP has been training the next generation of theoretical physicists. Designed specifically for high schoolers who have taken at least one physics course and plan to study physics at the university level, this two-week online program will introduce students to the key concepts in modern physics such as quantum mechanics, cosmology, special and general relativity, and black holes.

Through interactive, hands-on mini-courses, keynote speakers, career panels, and a community of like-minded peers, this affordable program is ideal for budding physicist researchers in their junior or senior years of high school. Explore Polygence’s list of Physics research and passion project ideas for high school students

14. Research Training Program for High School Students

Hosting institution: Seattle Children’s Hospital

Eligibility: Rising juniors, seniors, and high school graduates taking a gap year

The Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Training Program is a competitive program which comes at no cost to accepted students. The one-week online program welcomes student applicants from anywhere in the world (students within commuting distance also have the option to apply for a three week in-person experience). Students will attend lectures and lab demonstrations on biochemistry, immunology, and public health, and there will be opportunities for office hours with research scientists, small group discussions, and college and career panels.

15. Mathematics Camp

Hosting institution: Stanford University

Cost: $3,550

Eligibility: Grades 10-11

Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC) Online is the ideal opportunity for high students who have taken advanced math course work and are interested in studying pure math topics and conducting original research. Online students can choose from two different summer sessions on Abstract Algebra & Number Theory and Algebraic Topology, respectively.

The online program has the advantages of being more affordable and faster paced in its instruction than the in-person program. Students have daily access to lectures from world-class faculty and to teaching assistants to help them with problem solving. They present their final research projects at the end of the program to an audience of peers and Stanford Math faculty.

16. Stanford AI4ALL: Live Virtual Program

Hosting institution: Stanford University, Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI)

Duration: Three weeks (late June to mid-July)

Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores (summer between freshman and sophomore year)

This intensive three-week program offered through Stanford University's Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence aims to increase diversity in the field of AI, introduce young people to cutting-edge concepts in the field, and empower them to conduct their own research. Students work with Stanford AI Lab to address real-world problems with AI through a combination of lectures, mentoring activities, and hands-on research. This is an opportunity not to be missed by budding young computer scientists looking to study at one of the top CS and AI universities in the world.

Explore Polygence’s list of Artificial Intelligence research and passion project ideas for high school students

17. Clinical Neuroscience Immersion Experience (CNI-X)

Hosting institution: Stanford University Medicine; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Cost: $1,295

Financial aid: Scholarships available upon request

Eligibility: Rising high school juniors, seniors, and college freshman

This summer intensive offered through Stanford University’s Department of Behavioral and Psychological Sciences is designed to introduce students to state-of-the-art research in neuroscience, psychiatry, and psychology, culminating in a collaborative capstone project. These final projects are presented at the end of the program to an audience of Stanford professors, peers, and families.

18. Summer College – Research Immersion Program

Hosting institution: Syracuse University

Cost: $1,985, plus $65 application fee

Duration: Six weeks

Eligibility: High school students ages 15 or older by program start date

Newly-launched in 2023, Syracuse University’s Summer College - Research Immersion Program (SCRIP) is a highly selective six week program which gives high school students the opportunity to work directly with faculty on new and existing research projects. All students are involved in the collection and assessment of data which culminates in a final presentation. Course offerings will vary each year; in 2023, it was a service-learning research project design titled “Self-Healing as a Health Right for All,” which partnered with Yoga 4 Philly , a Philadelphia nonprofit.

19. Science for Youth Intensive Program (SYIP)

Hosting institution: University of California - Berkeley, College of Chemistry

Cost: $14,750

Duration: Academic year plus a four-week (in-person) summer internship

Eligibility: Rising 9th-12th graders

UC Berkeley’s College of Chemistry selects 30 exceptional high school students each year and pairs them with research faculty, who they work with remotely throughout the academic year. During four weeks the following summer, students live on UC Berkeley’s campus and work hands-on in their faculty mentor’s lab. This is the perfect opportunity for students seriously interested in chemistry research who are looking to develop a strong relationship with a research mentor prior to college.

Note: this program is on hiatus for the 2023-2024 academic year

Explore Polygence’s list of Chemistry research and passion project ideas for high school students

20. Research Scholars

Hosting institution: University of California - San Diego, Division of Extended Studies

Cost: $1,500-$3,000 (varies by program)

Duration: Four to ten weeks

College Credit: Yes

Eligibility: High school students

UC San Diego’s Division of Extended Studies offers courses throughout the summer and academic year designed to introduce high school students to cutting-edge STEM research methods. With online and hybrid courses available in the fields of bioengineering, design, life sciences, marine science, sports medicine, and business research, Research Scholars programs are a great opportunity to dive into real-world projects and develop skills that will set you up for success in research at the college level.

21. Programs for Pre-College Students

Hosting institution: The University of Chicago (UChicago)

Cost: $4,500-$7,725 depending on course

Duration: Varies

UChicago offers a robust variety of courses to gifted high school students each summer, which provide amazing opportunities to dive deeply into a subject area of interest and complete projects individually and in groups. Summer College and the Summer Language Institute are open to rising juniors and seniors, while Summer Online is open to high schoolers of all grade levels.

22. Summer Writing Online

Hosting institution: University of Iowa College of Education, Belin-Blank Center

Cost: $2,200

Financial aid: Need-based scholarships

Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors

Known for its outstanding creative writing faculty and the top-ranked MFA program in the world, the University of Iowa offers emerging writers in high school the opportunity to deepen their writing practice in this three-week intensive program. Students will study craft with Iowa’s esteemed faculty, participate in workshops to receive feedback on their work, and attend talks with world-renowned authors. This is an essential program for passionate young writers looking for guidance and community as they execute a creative project this summer.

Learn about writing competitions and contests for high school students

23. Pre-College Online Program

Hosting institution: The University of Pennsylvania, Penn Arts and Sciences High School Programs  

Cost: $8,044-$13,056, plus $75 application fee

Financial aid: Available to residential students from Philadelphia area

Duration: Three to five weeks

Experience coursework and research at an Ivy League institution through UPenn’s online summer programs. Students can take an online course for credit in such fascinating research topics as Bioethics, Oceanography, and the Ethics and Economics of Wealth Creation. Penn Arts and Sciences High School Program course offerings are updated on the program website as they are announced.

24. Summer Session for Pre-College Students

Hosting institution: Yale University

Cost: $4,850 for one course credit (four semester credit hours)

Eligibility: Rising seniors and college freshman

High-achieving pre-college students can apply to take Yale summer courses alongside Yale undergraduates, an amazing opportunity to focus intensely on a subject of interest or to explore a new field not taught at your high school. Students will have the authentic experience of what it is like to study at an elite research institution all while earning college credit and meeting esteemed Yale faculty. From Feminist and Queer Ethnographies to Climate Change, Societal Collapse and Resilience, Yale offers many engaging and unique courses online to select high school students.

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Complete Your Own Virtual Research Through Polygence

Polygence provides middle and high school students with opportunities to work on a research or passion project of their choosing. Through our Core program you get matched with a research mentor who has expertise in your field of interest. Your mentor will meet with you one-on-one and provide guidance and support as you pursue your research or passion project and–if you choose to do so– showcase your completed work .

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A Guide to Pursuing Research Projects in High School

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Most common high school pursuits and interests can be fit fairly neatly into the academic or extracurricular categories. There are of course required courses that you take, and then there are the activities that you pursue outside of school hours, usually for your own enjoyment. You may play on a sports team, participate in a service project, or pursue visual arts. In most cases, even if your interests are somewhat untraditional, you can somehow package them in a way that neatly qualifies them as an extracurricular activity.

But what if your interests outside of school are more academic in nature? What if you’ve long been fascinated by the potential that carbon sequestration holds to limit the effects of climate change? What if you’re interested in the history of civil disobedience, or the ability of exams to measure actual comprehension? Whatever the case may be, there are some topics of interest that just don’t fit neatly into any extracurricular club or activity.

If you find yourself longing to pursue an interest such as this, you might consider conducting your own research project. While the concept may seem daunting at first, if you break it down into smaller, manageable tasks, you’ll quickly find that you probably already have the skills necessary to get started.

In this post, we will outline the process for conducting a long-term research project independently, including several avenues for pursuing recognition of your work and a step-by-step guide to completing your project. If you’re interested in pursuing an independent research project during high school, keep reading.

Why Pursue an Independent Research Project?

An independent research project is a great way to explore an area of interest that you otherwise would not get to learn about outside of school. By undertaking a research project on your own, not only will you explore a personal area of interest in more depth, but also you will demonstrate your dedication to pursuing knowledge for the sake of learning and your ability to work independently over a prolonged period.

Independent research projects, when conducted well and presented appropriately on a college application, can be a great advantage to you on your college admissions.

How to Choose a Topic for a Research Project

If you’re interested in pursuing a research project, you probably already have a topic in mind. In fact, the desire to conduct a research project usually stems from an existing interest, not just from the idea to conduct research on a vague or undetermined subject matter.

You should aim to narrow your research project to something that has some academic relevance. Perhaps it is related to your existing coursework. Maybe it reflects work you hope to pursue in the future, either academically or professionally. Try to fine-tune your project enough that you can easily explain the driving force behind it and its relevance to your future career path.

While you don’t need to decide on your exact topic or thesis quite yet, you should have a general idea of what your project will entail before moving forward.

Are There Existing Avenues for Undertaking a Research Project At Your School?

While you could certainly conduct your research project completely independently from your school, it is usually easier and more productive to conduct it in a way that is somehow connected to the rest of your schooling.

If the project is STEM-oriented, think about whether it would fit into a science fair or other STEM competition in which your school already competes. Also consider the AP Capstone Program if your school offers it. The second course in this sequence is AP Research , and it requires an in-depth research project as its culminating assessment.

If neither of these formal avenues are available, or neither provides a good fit, look into the possibility of pursuing your project as an independent study. If your school offers independent studies for credit, you can usually get information about them from your adviser. These types of projects usually require an extended application process that must be followed closely if you want to gain approval.

Finally, even if you can’t take advantage of one of the options above, if you have achieved advanced standing or enough credits, your school might still allow you to undertake an extended individual research project through some type of formal arrangement. Talk with a teacher, mentor, or adviser to learn what your options are. Clearly communicate your innate desire to learn more about this specific topic and be prepared to give some background on the issue that you want to research.

Steps for Undertaking the Research Project

1. find a mentor or adviser.

You will need someone to help guide and advise your work, so finding a willing and able mentor should be one of your first steps. This should ideally be a person with existing expertise in the subject area you wish to pursue. In the least, this person should share your interest and passion for the topic.

A teacher at your school who can also serve as an adviser is ideal, and may even be a requirement if you are formally pursuing the project as an independent study for credit. If that is not possible, you can certainly find a mentor somewhere else, even remotely if necessary.

Find out if your subject matter pertains to any local industries or companies, or if there are any scientists or professionals nearby who specialize in it. Consider checking the instructors of local summer programs or judges from past science fairs at your school.   Also consider a professional who has written an article that interested you in the field.

Before you approach a mentor to request their help, familiarize yourself with his or her work. Be able to speak articulately about what has drawn you to him or her specifically. Put some thought into informed questions you might ask him or her. Be upfront about your needs if you are going to require any specific guidance or extended time or energy from your mentor. It might be difficult to find someone at first, but keep trying. Finding a mentor for your project is an important step.

2. Set a Timeline and Stick to It

Once you’ve found a mentor, you can get started laying out the timeline for your project. When you do this, list each step of your project as specifically as possible. These will include at a minimum: background research, writing a thesis statement, in depth research phase, outlining your final paper, drafting your paper, editing your paper, and publishing your paper.

You will probably have a completion date in mind, whether it’s required by the school or simply the end of the semester or school year. Work backwards from your completion date to set a realistic timeframe for each of these steps.

It helps to have a calendar displayed prominently with your deadlines listed clearly on it to keep you on track. Also be sure to put your deadlines into your school assignment book or Google calendar so that you can see how they overlap and affect your other commitments.

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3. Conducting Research

After you’ve completed your deadline calendar, you’re ready to get started with the fun stuff:   the actual research. There are many sources for finding high quality research materials. You can use your school library, your local library, and sometimes even the library at local colleges or universities. Sometimes the libraries at colleges are open only to registered students and faculty, but if you contact a library official or a member of the department related to your research project, you might be able to gain access for research purposes.

You may also take advantage of online research tools. Google Scholar is a good place to find peer-reviewed, high quality publications. You may also find out if your school has a subscription to any online research databases like Ebsco , or JSTOR . These databases provide digital compilations of hundreds of research journals, both current and archived.    

Be careful what you choose to use as sources, though. You need to ensure that every source you rely on is high-quality and fact-based. Many internet resources now are not as accurate as they might appear. Some are outdated and some are just wrong. Remember that just about anyone can publish something online these days, so you can’t rely on information that you find on just any old website. Be particularly wary of pages like Wikipedia that look like fact-based resources but are actually drawn from unfiltered user submissions.

As you research your topic, take careful notes to track your work. Choose a system to organize your notes, such as writing on notecards that can be easily organized, or using different colored pens to color code different subtopics of your research. By carefully organizing your notes, you’ll be better set up to organize your paper.

4. Organize Your Paper

Once you’ve completed the research phase of your project, you’re ready to organize your paper. Go through your notes carefully to see how they support your thesis. If they don’t, be prepared and open to changing your thesis. Always allow the research to guide the direction of your paper, and not vice versa.

Organize your notes into the order that makes most sense in your paper. Use them to guide an outline of your paper. Once they are in order, write out a rough outline of your paper.

Prewriting is an important step to writing your paper. It allows you to go into the drafting phase with as much preparation as possible so that your writing will have a clear direction when you begin.

5. Write Your Paper 

After your organization and prewriting, you’re ready to draft your paper. Try to break this phase up into smaller pieces so that you don’t burn out. Your final product will probably be one of the longest papers you’ve ever written, usually ranging from 15-30 pages depending on your subject, so you’ll want to pace yourself.

Break up your writing deadlines into more specific sub-deadlines to help guide your work. Set goals for completing the introduction, various sections of the body, and your conclusion.

6. Edit Your Paper 

There will be multiple stages of editing that need to happen. First, you will self-edit your first draft. Then, you will likely turn a draft of your paper in to your mentor for another round of editing. Some students even choose to have a peer or family member edit a draft at some point. After several rounds of editing, you will be prepared to publish your work.

7. Publish Your Work

Publication sounds like a very official completion of your project, but in reality publishing can take many different forms. It’s really just the final draft of your project, however you decide to produce it.

For some students, publication means submitting a draft of your project to an actual journal or formal publication. For others, it means creating a polished draft and a display board that you will present at a school or public event. For still others it might just be a polished, final draft bound and turned into your mentor.

However you decide to publish your work, be mindful that this should be a reflection of an entire semester or year of work, and it should reflect the very height of your learning and abilities. You should be proud of your final product.

If you’re a high school student with in-depth interests in a subject area that doesn’t fit neatly into any of your existing extracurriculars or academic courses, you should consider pursuing a research project to reflect your interest and dedication. Not only will your pursuit allow you to further explore a subject that’s interesting to you, but also it will be a clear example of your independence and commitment on your college applications.

Looking for help navigating the road to college as a high school student? Download our  free guide for 9th graders  and our  free guide for 10th graders . Our guides go in-depth about subjects ranging from  academics ,  choosing courses ,  standardized tests ,  extracurricular activities ,  and much more !

For more information about research and independent projects in high school, check out these posts:

• Ultimate Guide to the AP Research Course and Assessment
• How to Choose a Project for Your AP Research Course
• How to Get a Research Assistant Position in High School
• An Introduction to the AP Capstone Diploma
• How to Choose a Winning Science Fair Project Idea
• How to Plan and Implement an Independent Study in High School

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60 Senior Project Ideas for High School Students – 2024

May 13, 2024

Many high school students look forward to the exciting moment of choosing a senior project. This makes sense since senior projects provide opportunities for students to direct what they’ve learned into something they care about, and to take their academic interests beyond the classroom. At the same time, deciding what to pursue can be nerve-wracking. After all the anticipation, when it finally comes time to decide on a project, students might ask themselves, now what ? If you find yourself in this dilemma, or if you could just use some further inspiration, continue reading for a list of 60 senior project ideas for high school students. Once you find a senior project idea that catches your eye, you can always put your own spin on it, or use it to inspire projects on topics outside this list.

What is a senior project?

Put simply, a senior project is a semester-long project you take on in your final year of high school. So, what counts as a senior project? This can vary widely. While different schools have different requirements (for example, some high schools expect students to focus specifically on internship experiences), the assignments tend to be pretty flexible. In the senior project ideas listed below, you will find suggestions ranging from assisting a science researcher, to interning at a local museum, to organizing an academic tutoring program, to helping with community voter registration. The final outputs for senior projects may also vary in form, from guidebooks, to plays, to research papers, and apps.

Considerations when choosing a senior project

Because a senior project is often seen as the culmination of your high school experience, you should choose a topic that reflects your passions and interests. At the same time, it’s an opportunity to develop new skills and challenge yourself as you prepare for your next steps after graduation. Whether you have plans to begin a 4-year university program, enroll in a 2-year degree program , take a gap year , or start a new job, a senior project can prepare you with experience that you wouldn’t receive in your high school classes in an ordinary semester.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when thinking of a senior project idea:

• What field or career do you wish to pursue? If you’re not sure, what are 2-3 fields that you could possibly see yourself pursuing at this point in your life?
• What world issues do you care most about? Climate change? LGBTQIA+ rights? Accessible healthcare? If thinking about a particular issue sparks a passion, this could be a great place to start.
• Based on your high school coursework experience, could you see yourself spending extra time on an artistic project? A science-based one? A research paper with a political theme?
• What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Volunteering with kids? Hiking and camping? Dancing? Cooking? Perhaps you can orient your senior project to something that you already know brings you joy.

60 senior project ideas

Below you can find 60 high school senior project ideas, divided into some general categories that might help you focus your search. As you read through, feel free to stick to these exact ideas or use them to inspire other ones.

Business – Senior Project Idea

• Write a printed or virtual guidebook to small local businesses in your area, including descriptions, photographs phone numbers and social media accounts.
• Help a local business with an advertising campaign, through local news outlets and social media.
• Develop a mentorship program to help those who are searching for jobs with resumes, interviews, and cover letters.
• Intern at a start-up based in your area.
• Write a research paper about models for sustainable businesses.
• Organize an after-school program that helps students learn financial literacy.

Community service

• Organize a ride service to bring elderly community members to and from doctor’s appointments, or to provide them with groceries and other needs.
• Volunteer at a local soup kitchen.
• Organize a food drive at your school.
• Create a social media campaign for a local animal shelter to raise awareness.
• Collaborate with a local charity or non-profit with a mission you believe in to organize a fundraiser.
• Collect school supplies and art supplies for families in need.

Creative writing – Senior Project Ideas

• Write and illustrate a children’s book.
• Create a handmade poetry book.
• Intern at a small local publisher or magazine.
• Work to translate a short story or poem to another language.
• Write a screenplay for a short film.
• Start a school literary magazine that accepts student submissions of poems, essays, and short stories. Organize a team so that the magazine can continue after you graduate.
• Organize a peer tutoring program at your school for students who need extra help with writing, languages, or math.
• Construct a free library box in your neighborhood so that more people have access to books.
• Volunteer at a local elementary school to help children with their homework after school.
• Work with a local senior center to teach a foreign language to residents.
• Develop a website or app for students to match with language partners for practicing conversation skills.
• Start a visual or performing arts class for children in your community.

Environmentalism- Senior Project Ideas

• Design and build a sustainable garden.
• Organize a community clean-up day, or a series of community clean-up days, at a local park or waterfront.
• Organize an Earth Day festival at your school. This could involve live music and performance, environmental art displays, local vegetarian food, and sustainable clothing swaps.
• Write a research paper on one thing that contributes to climate change, as well as potential solutions.
• Write a guidebook to local parks and hiking trails so that locals and visitors alike can appreciate these outdoor spots.
• Create a fashion line with all reused materials.
• Research historic sites in your neighborhood or town, and write a printed or online guidebook to these points of local history.
• Record a podcast on the history of one of your hobbies (fashion? sports?) Contact an expert on this history to ask if you can interview them on the podcast.
• Write a research paper on the history of a particular protest movement.
• Write and direct a short play with a contemporary take on a historical event that interests you.
• Create a documentary film on the history of your community (school, town, etc.), and organize a community screening.
• Intern at a local history museum.

Performing Arts – Senior Project Ideas

• Write and record an original song.
• Write, direct, and show a one-act play.
• Organize a community dance performance with student choreographers and performers, featuring a range of different styles.
• Volunteer to help with accessibility needs (theater access, live captioning, etc.) at a local theater.
• Organize a school comedy night or talent show that benefits a charity of your choice.
• Research the history of a film genre, and direct a short film that reflects this genre.
• Intern for a local political newspaper or magazine.
• Volunteer on the campaign of a local candidate.
• Create an online blog to write on a political issue you care about, or write a series of op-eds for a local newspaper.
• Write a research paper on a local problem (housing prices, green space, voting access) that discusses possible solutions to this problem.
• Create a Model UN or Mock Trial team at your school if one doesn’t already exist.
• Help teens and other community members register to vote.

Science and medicine – Senior Project Ideas

• Build a Rube Goldberg machine .
• Work in the lab of a STEM professor at a nearby university who works on a topic you’re interested in.
• Research a community health problem (drug safety, air/water quality, nutritional food access) and develop solutions with the help of local politicians and/or medical experts. Create a research paper, blog, or documentary film on your findings.
• Assist at a doctor’s office or hospital by helping to translate for patients who are non-native English speakers.
• Design an architectural structure (for example, a house or bridge) and build a 3D model.
• Organize a technology support group at your school to make technology more accessible and help with easy tech repairs.

Visual arts

• Design a mural for your school to highlight an aspect of the school culture or commemorate an important moment in its history.
• Intern at a local art museum and learn how to give a tour of its current exhibits.
• Organize the collaborative building of a sculpture at your school made of all reused or found objects.
• Offer to take wedding or senior photographs for those who might not be able to afford a professional photographer.
• Study a famous painter, and then create a series of paintings (or art of another medium) based on, or in response to, their works.
• Create a school-wide photography exhibition, with a theme of your choosing.

Senior Project Ideas – Final thoughts

We hope that this list has sparked inspiration for your high school senior project. Remember that while senior projects are important (and hopefully fun) opportunities to culminate your high school experience, you don’t need to do it all in one project! If you’re inspired by more than one of these project ideas, hold onto them for years to come or pursue them as summer internships .

If you’re interested in more project ideas for high school students, we recommend the following articles:

• 100 Examples of Community Service Projects
• 98 Passion Project Ideas
• 100 Best Clubs to Start in High School
• Persuasive Speech Topics
• High School Success

Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.

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Marketing Teaching Activities for High School Students

Teaching marketing to high school students.

Whether you’re teaching a structured business or commerce course, or simply incorporating marketing concepts into your usual syllabus, then variety, student engagement and interest, along with valuable learning outcomes are usually key goals.

Add the additional challenges of unique learning styles, peer pressure and influence, lifestyle and technology distractions, and the usual – do I need to know this for the exam? – then we sometimes have a complex teaching path to navigate.

But there is a teaching upside when it comes to teaching marketing – and that’s all your high school students being experienced consumers. They have all been shopping, bought and used many products, seen ads, engaged with social media, know and prefer brands, and are quite savvy about the better products for them. This is a great starting point.

Welcome to Great Ideas for Teaching Marketing 

This website is dedicated to teaching activities, tools, games, exercises, case studies, class discussions – in fact a whole variety of tasks – all designed to help engage, encourage, and educate students ranging from mid high school age right up to Masters level teaching.

Great Ideas is structured as a pick and choose website, where you can quickly go through the 100s of teaching activities to find the ones that best suit your student cohort.

Let’s get started… below I have curated a selection of teaching activities and tasks that would work very well when teaching marketing (and related business concepts) to high school students.

Please Note: The below is a mix of both FREE and MEMBER ONLY teaching activities…

Teaching Marketing Ideas for High School Students

Games, tools, and quizzes.

Marketing Mix Sim Game

This Sim Game is structured around the 4Ps marketing mix. Students manage up to 2 brands across 5 rounds to see which team can have the most marketing success. The game is Excel-based and is easy-to-use.

Digital Escape Rooms for Teaching Marketing

These three escape rooms consists of 10 different challenges, built around a theme of a job interview or being a marketing expert. Each challenge is in sequence and needs to be solved first before the next challenge is released – students cannot skip ahead until they solve the puzzle first.

Marketing Trivia Two Video Quizzes

Here are two multiple-choice question video quizzes. One on general marketing trivia, and one called ‘guess the entrepreneur’. These video quizzes are designed as icebreakers and team-building exercises.

Product Mix MCQ Revision VIDEO

This is a 20 multiple-choice question video quiz on the PRODUCT MIX. It is a fun and interactive approach to revision for students, and a helpful insight for instructors on which new product topics need further explanation and discussion.

Pizza Store Design Game

This is a free marketing game that requires students working in teams to design their own pizza store and compete with other student groups. Available in an interactive and non-interactive version. Ideal for teaching the full marketing mix.

CASE STUDIES

Patagonia Case Study: Marketing to Anti-Consumers

This case looks at Patagonia, a company that is highly successful in terms of growth and profits, but also makes a substantial contribution to the environment, sustainability, and even to the anti-consumer movement and ideology.

Bed Bath & Beyond Case Study

In April 2023, superstore Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy, following several years of misalignments to the changing environment. Many factors contributed to their demise – but was poor marketing mainly to blame?

Toys R Us Bankruptcy: Marketing Environmental Factors

In this activity, students review a video on the rise and fall of Toys R Us and identify the key marketing environmental factors that they failed to adapt to.

Pringles Chips WTF (Sales Promotion Campaign)

This activity is built around a new flavor campaign for the well-known snack brand Pringles. This campaign is a mix of a sales promotion and a product line extension.

KFC Edible Nail Polish: Brand Extension

Do your students agree with KFC’s decision to extend their brand into chicken flavored nail polish? Why/why not?

Real Burger World (RBW) Case Study

RBW was a small hamburger chain established in the UK in the early 2000’s. Despite a significant financial investment, professional management, the use of branding consultants, and extensive media coverage, the business did not prove to be viable and closed within a few years.

New Coke Case Study (Part 1)

A role play version for a New Coke case study, where students assume the role of key participants in the decision. An interesting challenge for marketing students.

Tropicana’s Packaging Case Study

In this activity we are going back to 2009 when Tropicana underwent a significant packaging redesign that did not go as planned. Although this occurred a number of years ago, it is a “classic” case study that all marketing students and practitioners should be aware of. It is especially useful for understanding the importance of packaging, branding, and what drives customer loyalty and repeat (habitual) purchases.

TEACHING BRANDING

Working with Brand Personality

In this exercise, students describe well-known brands in terms of their brand personality. A list of personality traits and descriptors are provided. In addition, the activity explores the role of brand personality versus more tangible brand metrics.

Which Brand Strategy?

For this proposed new snack food product, what is the most appropriate branding strategy? A brand extension, or a multi-brand, and so on.

Will You Pay More Just for the Brand?

In this very simple and fun exercise, students have to choose between two identical products – but one has the advantage of a very strong brand versus an unknown brand – will your students pay more just for the brand and why?

TEACHING PROMOTION

Developing a Promotional Strategy

This activity is based on a chain of fitness centers. They want to increase their ongoing level of promotional activity, but are unsure how best to promote themselves in the marketplace.

Setting Promotional Objectives

Students assume responsibility for the promotion of McDonald’s ‘healthy menu’ campaign (designed to help reposition the brand), and they need to select the most appropriate promotional objectives.

Informative, Persuasive, or Reminder Advertising?

In this simple, but quite challenging, exercise students classify ads into the categories of informative, persuasive, and reminder advertising. This is a great task to help students distinguish between these somewhat confusing differences. The “need” for reminder style advertising is also explored.

Difference Between Target Markets and Target Audiences

In this exercise, students will be presented with a mix of target markets and multiple target audiences for a new social initiative. It is a helpful activity for clarifying the difference between target markets and audiences. And it is very flexible, as it can be run as a case study discussion, as a marketing debate, or even a student role-play.

TEACHING SEGMENTATION and TARGET MARKETS

How to Segment a Market

The task is to construct your a segmentation approach, using a list of 15 possible market segments that could exist in virtually any market.

Which Segmentation Base?

Students need to identify what type of segmentation base that the firm is using from the list of segmentation bases provided.

Using Different Bases for Market Segmentation

In this activity, students need to segment consumers – based on their comments, attitudes, and behaviors – using demographic, psychographic, and behavioral segmentation bases, to construct three different segmentation structures. Then they need to determine which segmentation structure is the best from a marketing perspective.

How to Develop a Segment Profile

An in-class exercise for marketing students to develop a better understanding of a market segment through constructing a segment profile.

Meeting Target Market Needs

The task is to outline a marketing mix for a holiday that would best suit different market segments.

Target Market Assessment

In this activity, students compare the assessment factors for three market segments. They need to rate each factor and then choose the best segment overall to be their chosen target market.

TEACHING POSITIONING

Poor Target Market or Poor Positioning?

This case study outlines a new retail store concept, which has proved somewhat disappointing for the two owners. The student task is to evaluate whether they adequately identified a viable target market and also to evaluate the appropriateness of their positioning

Repositioning the Cruise Ship Industry

In this activity, students examine the opportunities and challenges of repositioning by reviewing the rise, fall, and then rise again of the cruising industry.

Positioning Kid’s Home-delivered Food

For this activity, students need to select the most appropriate positioning for a firm that currently home delivers pre-prepared food to people who are trying to lose weight. They have now decided to pursue an opportunity in providing a somewhat similar product, but this time, targeted at children.

Snicker’s Innovative SEM Campaign

This video-based activity highlights Snickers Misspelled Words campaign that they executed through Google search ads to successfully reinforce their brand positioning.

Pepsi AM Breakfast Soda: Classic Case Study

This is another classic case study, when Pepsi tried to create a breakfast market for cola. This activity is structured in two teaching formats and can be run as a role-play exercise or as a case study discussion.

TEACHING MARKETING STRATEGY

Growing Market Share: Burger King Case Study

In this mini case study, students assess Burger King’s strategy to grow its market share in their home market in 2023 and beyond. The firm undertook an aggressive marketing program across multiple marketing mix elements, and started to look at product-based (rather than firm-based) differentiation as the key to their growth success.

Making a Marketing Strategy Choice

This is a mini case study of a hypothetical toy manufacturer (Fun 4 U) that is faced with two distinct marketing strategy choices. The student task is to determine, based on the information available, the best approach for the firm.

Pepsi Changes Its Logo

In 2023 Pepsi announced its first logo redesign in 15 years, to coincide with their 125th anniversary. And while Pepsi are very excited about their new design, your students will need to address whether the new logo is better and whether it even matters for an iconic brand like Pepsi?

SWOT Analysis: What Goes in Which Box?

While SWOT analysis is an effective tool for synthesizing the situational analysis component of a marketing plan, it is often challenging working out where in SWOT that the finding should be allocated. In this task, students sort through sets of marketing information and classify them into the SWOT matrix boxes.

EVEN MORE ENGAGING TEACHING IDEAS

Developing a Marketing Mix

In this exercise, students select the most appropriate marketing strategy and then develop a suitable marketing mix, based upon a proposed new chain of Italian and pizza restaurants.

Quiz: What Area of Marketing are You Most Suited For?

Do you have students asking “What area of marketing should I go into?” It’s a common question for students nearing the end of their studies. Well, here is the solution – a quiz that sorts students into one of 24 profiles and then provides a summary of their work preferences and traits, along with suggested marketing specializations that they should pursue. A great -in-class or take home exercises.

New Product Concept Generation Using Creativity

This is a creativity exercise where students sort through forced relationships of flavors and product categories in order to identify potential new product ideas for snack foods. It should be a relatively fun and enjoyable exercise for students, as well as demonstrating a good technique for finding new product ideas in a cluttered and crowded market.

What Do You Want a Marketer to Do?

In this activity, students need to consider what is the primary purpose of marketing? While many students will opt for marketing plans, new products, communication campaigns – is that what marketing is really all about?

KFC’s App Gamifies Snack time

This is a great example of using a market insight to change consumer behavior. In this activity, KFC created a smart phone game to deliver sales promotion incentives and drive sales.

Pepsi Next Case Study

This case study provides students with an interesting insight into PepsiCo’s new product process and some of the challenging decisions that they faced along the way.

AND ALSO CHECK OUT…

Fun Marketing Activities for Students

Teaching marketing should be fun and engaging for students and, as instructors, we should strive to “bring marketing alive” for students through the use of various activities, games, tools, and exercises. Review a summary of the available activities.

List of All Free Marketing Tools

This is a handy list of all the free tools available on the GITM website. Here you can find all the download links for the tools, as well as how-to-use videos.

List of All Marketing Tools for Members

A list of all the free and member only tools available on Great Ideas – contains over 20 tools, premium templates, and games – all in one handy place.

Flipped Classrooms for Teaching Marketing

Flipped classrooms can improve learning outcomes for students. Check out my top 11 tips for flipped classroom when teaching marketing.

Games and Gamification in Teaching Marketing

The use of teaching games and gamification in marketing education is a natural fit and is a growing trend. Find out more about these important topics and find suitable games, tools, and tips.

Top 10 Tips for Teaching Marketing

Teaching marketing effectively is a challenging profession, so as a guide, please check out my top 10 handy tips for teaching marketing.

BECOME A GREAT IDEAS FOR TEACHING MARKETING MEMBER

Consider Joining as a Great Ideas Member

GITM members get access to exclusive content, new activities weekly, access to ALL solutions, and ability to post comments and ask questions. Check out the details here.

Marketing to High School Students: 4 Strategies That Make An Impact

As a young and ever-shifting consumer segment, high school students present a moving target for marketers. Just when marketers seem to understand how to reach this young demographic, their preferences change again, requiring an all-new marketing strategy. But high school students are key entry-point consumers that have a huge potential to boost your sales—if you can effectively communicate with them and influence their purchasing behavior. 

At Refuel Agency, we’ve been investing in up-to-date proprietary consumer research to better understand the youngest generation for over 30 years so we can help brands reach their target audience and achieve campaign goals. 

Here are four strategies for marketing to high school students that will make an impact. 

Read next: 6 Examples of Brands That Got Gen Z Marketing Right

1. Understand your target audience

Before you can successfully launch your high school marketing campaigns, you need to understand your target audience at a deep level—who they are, what they care about, what makes them tick, how they engage with media, and what their lifestyles look like. 

At Refuel, we believe research is at the very core of our success, and we use proprietary insights from our Gen Z Explorer Series™ to ensure we understand how to market to Gen Z and that our campaigns make an impact. 

So who is the Gen Z audience and how can you influence them? Gen Z teens are pragmatic, diverse, and independent. While their Millennial counterparts are much more keen on oversharing, Gen Z manages their social media presence much more like a brand—curated and privacy-oriented. Gen Z are accustomed to being marketed to, so they expect brands to merge seamlessly into their lives, support their values, and to communicate the way that they do. 

In particular, Gen Z teens are at the forefront of trends, constantly scouting for new products, online personalities, and technology. Marketing manager Sarah Walter advises, “Take time to research what’s cool and what’s not, and use that knowledge to boost activities. Leverage this information to get ahead of your competition.” CEO Kevin Miller chimes in, saying, “Young people are focused on what’s popular and relevant now and in the present moment, so it’s important to use current references and platforms to properly engage with them.”

Speaking Gen Z’s language is pertinent to your brand’s ability to influence them. To learn more about marketing to Gen Z , check out our ultimate guide. 

Read next: The Ultimate Guide to Marketing to Gen Z

2. Be where they are—online and offline

Gen Z teens consume different media than their parents or grandparents, and are influenced in different ways. For your high school marketing campaign to be successful, you need to place their brand where it successfully interrupts their daily lives and has a meaningful impact on them. So where should your brand focus their efforts?

In-school media boards

As schools further return to in-person learning, high school students spend the majority of their time within their school environments, making in-school out-of-home advertising an incredibly effective way of placing your brand’s front-and-center in their daily lives. 

Research shows that Gen Z actually finds out-of-home advertising to be “relaxing” in comparison with the digital ads they’re accustomed to. Our network of media boards are placed strategically in high schools nationwide at eye-level in order to garner maximum exposure for your brand. 

Social media

As digital natives, high school students today view their social media profiles as an extension of who they are. Their profiles are both curated and authentic, and on average, they spend 3 hours a day engaging with social media. 

But all social media platforms are not created the same. Teens care about what’s new, cool, and what they’re friends are using — so as a brand, you should, too. In 2021, the most-used social media platforms by teens are TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. TikTok experienced a much more recent surge of popularity, while Snapchat reigns as the long-term favorite communication tool for Gen Z teens.

Additionally, consider channels where you can be a big fish in a smaller pond. Channels like Twitch, HouseParty, Discord, and YouNow have gained popularity and offer opportunities for your brand to authentically connect with this young demographic. 

Mobile device targeting

Most teen students carry their phones with them all the time—making mobile targeting one of the easiest and most effective ways to target high school students. At Refuel Agency, we have the ability to target the mobile phones of high school students whenever they’re in the boundaries of their schools.

Video streaming

According to Refuel Agency’s Gen Z Explorer Series™ , 91% of Gen Z report watching online videos every day, 84% report that they watch video streaming services, and Gen Z is 64% more likely to stream videos on their smartphones. Gen Z is partial to specifically short-form videos over long form ones. Gen Z spends more time on YouTube than on Netflix or any other streaming platforms, and most of Gen Z’s favorite influencers are from YouTube, Vine, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram stories.

So what’s the takeaway? Gen Z loves video content—but not just any video content. They gravitate towards influencers, whose content seems authentic and relatable, like Liza Koshy (18.7M YouTube followers) and Emma Chamberlain (9.1M YouTube followers). Brands can take a page from their books and create video content that makes Gen Z feel more like collaborators than consumers — encouraging user-generated content, filming with lo-fi aesthetics, and being subtle with branding.

Read next: Looking Ahead: 4 Key Youth Marketing Trends for 2021

3. Influence them at their price point

In-school promotions + sampling

High school students, in particular, are motivated by brands that can influence them at their price point. Free samples and targeted discounts are particularly persuasive to a target demographic that has not yet entered the workforce. Additionally, in-school sampling campaigns are effective because students are being targeted in an environment that they trust, their school.  An example of this success lies in our “Redzone” sampling campaign with Old Spice . Through Refuel, Old Spice created a multi-year sampling campaign to increase their brand awareness among high school boys. The campaign successfully deployed across 10,000 high schools nationwide and results in an 81% increase in Old Spice purchases.

4. Speak to their experiences

High school students, more so than older generations, expect for brands to be relatable and to merge seamlessly with their lives. They grew up with the Internet and smartphones, after all, so they’re used to branded content being infused into their daily lives. Given this, your brand has the opportunity to run meaningful campaigns that speak to the experiences of high school students. 

Especially as students head back to their schools, brands should address the toll that COVID-19 has taken on them, their families, and their friends. “The best way brands can prepare teens for their return to school is by helping them navigate their new realities through human-centered campaigns,” says digital marketer Baidhurya Mani. “They should focus on empathizing with students by sharing their values and issues that matter to them.”

Don’t forget about marketing to parents of high school students

When you’re strategizing ways to market to high school students, don’t forget two of the most important people in their lives: their parents. Teens living at home still have enormous influence over their parents’ spending decisions, boosting overall teen buying power from $95.7B total teen income to $265.6B total teen spending including parents. 

When it comes to marketing to parents of high school students, one key difference is that while high school students are largely focused on the present, parents are concerned more with their childrens’ futures. Parents are concerned about what their children will do with their lives, when, and how. Marketing VP Mitch Harad adds that, “This overarching pain point for parents of high school students has only been magnified during COVID-19. Brands wanting to connect with returning high school students should address the pain point by communicating messages of safety about the future.” 

And remember that you want to make a good impression on the parents of your target audience. Advertisements that may promote distorted body image or that may encourage poor choices or behavior from teens will not make a good impression on their parents. Make sure that your ads keep parents in mind. 

Are you ready to get started advertising to high school students? At Refuel Agency, we’ve been marketing to teens for over 30 years, and we’re invested in ensuring your campaigns are successful. 

Learn more about marketing to teens

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5 Free Virtual Research Opportunities For High School Students

Virtual research opportunities for high school students are programs that provide hands-on experience and research projects in various STEM fields, such as mathematics, computer science, computational biology, physics, neuroscience, and engineering. These programs are designed to deepen students’ understanding of STEM and help them develop the skills needed to succeed in their academic and professional careers. 

Participating in these programs can also help high school students expand their knowledge and skills in their areas of interest and work on exciting, unsolved problems with established researchers from top-tier universities. 

Virtual research opportunities are especially useful for high school students who are unable to attend in-person programs due to distance, cost, or other factors. They offer a flexible and accessible way to gain valuable experience and knowledge from the comfort of their own homes. In this article, we will discuss five free virtual research opportunities available for high school students.

1. MIT Primes  

MIT PRIMES is a free, year-long after-school program that provides research projects and guided reading to high school students in the areas of mathematics, computer science, and computational biology. The program is designed for students living within driving distance from Boston, and it offers four sections: PRIMES, PRIMES-USA, Menezes Challenge PRIMES Circle, and Yulia’s Dream.

PRIMES is a research-focused program in which participants work with MIT researchers to solve exciting, unsolved problems. PRIMES-USA is a distance mentoring math research section for high school juniors and sophomores from across the United States. Menezes Challenge PRIMES Circle is a math enrichment section for underrepresented groups living within commuting distance from Boston. Yulia’s Dream is a math enrichment and research program for exceptional high school students from Ukraine.

In addition to these sections, PRIMES runs two collaborative initiatives: MathROOTS, a two-week summer program for high-potential high school students from underrepresented backgrounds or underserved communities, and CrowdMath, a year-long online collaborative research project open to all high school and college students worldwide.

Finally, PRIMES STEP is a year-long math enrichment program for middle school students from Greater Boston.

Overall, MIT PRIMES aims to provide challenging and engaging opportunities for students with a passion for mathematics and science. Through research projects, guided reading, and collaborative initiatives, PRIMES seeks to foster the intellectual growth and development of high school and middle school students, and to inspire them to pursue their interests in these fields.

MIT PRIMES is a prestigious year-long after-school program that offers research projects and guided reading to high school students interested in mathematics, computer science, and computational biology. 

The admissions for the 2023 cycle are closed, and the admission decisions are made by February 1. However, for the 2024 cycle, new problem sets will be posted on October 1, 2023, and applicants will have until November 30, 2023, to solve the relevant problem set(s). 

To apply for MIT PRIMES, you must be a high school student (or a home-schooled student of high school age) living in the Greater Boston area, able to come to MIT weekly from February to May.

To apply, you need to fill out a questionnaire, ask for two or three letters of recommendation, and submit your solutions of the PRIMES problem set. Applicants to the Math section must solve the Math problem set (at least 70%), and applicants to the Computer Science and Computational Biology sections must solve the Computer Science problem set (100%) and the General part of the Math problem set (at least 70%). Admission decisions are based on all components of your application, and there is no application fee.

MIT PRIMES suggests a list of recommended readings as a preparation for entering the program and as a background for further research. By participating in MIT PRIMES, students can gain hands-on experience working on exciting, unsolved problems with MIT researchers and expand their knowledge and skills in these areas.

The Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS) is a program that provides opportunities for underrepresented high school students to explore STEM fields. The program is designed to deepen students’ understanding of STEM through traditional classroom instruction, hands-on projects, and sustained engagement with faculty and staff mentors. 

SAMS Scholars are taught by renowned faculty and staff who are deeply committed to their success. They also have the opportunity to collaborate and develop meaningful relationships with peers from across the country. Through SAMS and other outreach initiatives, the program aims to develop a diverse and supportive community of STEM Scholars interested in attending top-tier universities.

The program consists of two parts: Part one is a virtual jumpstart that will occur prior to the start of the residential program. This will focus on skill-building that will be needed for the in-person program. Part two is a 5-week in-person Pre-College program where students will move into the residence halls and attend full days of courses and meetings. The academic portion of the program will conclude with a symposium, and students will move out of the residence halls at the end of the program. 

SAMS is a fully funded, merit-based program, and there is no cost for scholars to participate. To be eligible for the program, students must be at least 16 years old, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and a junior in high school at the time of application submission. Scholars are expected to participate fully for the duration of the program and cannot participate in any other programs if selected for SAMS.

3. University of Illinois – High School Summer Research Program

The High School Summer STEM research program invites current 9th-11th graders from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, or Wisconsin to apply for an authentic six-week STEMM research experience at a world-class research university. Participants will be matched with another student, and in some cases, a teacher from their school. 

The program aims to provide hands-on experience in various STEMM fields, including cancer immunology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, physics, quantum mechanics, bioengineering, and electrical engineering.

Participants will work with established researchers in engineering, computer science, and medicine and attend weekly seminars on topics such as college admission processes and support available, communicating scientifically, and preparing research posters etc. Students will also interact with faculty, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students, undergraduate students, and local high school teachers.

Participants will showcase their research with a research poster and symposium at the end of the program. They should plan for 30-35 hours per week of research and professional development time, with a majority of activities taking place on the University of Illinois campus. 

The program covers some transportation/parking expenses, meals, and a monetary award.

High school teachers play an essential role in the program, with some research projects requiring a teacher to be a co-researcher, and others having a teacher mentor who checks in weekly with the students to discuss their research progress and address any issues or challenges. 

Teachers and students do not need to come from the same school, and interested individuals should apply regardless of whether they can recruit others from their school to apply.

The program also invites research faculty, staff, and graduate student researchers affiliated with The Grainger College of Engineering and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine to propose a high school research project for consideration. The proposals will be mentored by POETS YS, GEnYuS, or SpHERES research teams, which will guide two high school juniors/seniors from limited understanding to completion of a related project of their own and poster presentation explaining their research.

In summary, the High School Summer STEM research program provides high school students with an opportunity to engage in authentic STEMM research and develop professional and college-ready skills. Participants work with established researchers, attend weekly seminars, and showcase their research at the end of the program. 

The program aims to provide hands-on experience and build confidence in students as scientists and engineers.

4. Simons Summer Research Program

The Simons Summer Research Program is a highly selective program that offers high school students the opportunity to conduct hands-on research with Stony Brook faculty mentors. Founded in 1984, the program attracts applicants from all over the country, with Simons Fellows being paired with a faculty mentor, joining a research group or team, and taking responsibility for a project. Students are encouraged to demonstrate independence, creativity, and an aptitude for hands-on work, with a strong interest in science. The program takes place during the summer before the student’s senior year of high school, with students participating in the program from June 26, 2023 to August 11, 2023.

In addition to working on their research project, Simons Fellows attend weekly faculty research talks, special workshops, tours, and events. At the closing poster symposium, students present their research project through a written research abstract and a research poster. Participants receive a stipend award.

The Simons Summer Research Program is supported by the Simons Foundation and is open to US citizens and/or permanent residents who are at least 16 years of age by the start of the program. The program is an opportunity for high school students interested in science to learn valuable techniques, experience life at a major research university, and develop independence, creativity, and an aptitude for hands-on work. The program aims to give students a glimpse into the world of scientific research and inspire them to pursue careers in science.

5. EnergyMag Internship

EnergyMag is offering virtual internships for high school and college students interested in increasing the share of renewable energy in the world and gaining work experience in the energy storage industry. 

The internships aim to provide students with research and analysis skills that will be valuable for their future professional lives. The virtual internship allows students to complete their internship hours virtually, providing flexibility to fit the experience into their busy personal and professional lives. Additionally, virtual interns enjoy the unique rewards of learning from experts regardless of their geographic location and strengthening their information and computer skills. 

The internships are strong resume boosters for employers, graduate college programs, and undergraduate programs. 

EnergyMag offers half-time and quarter-time virtual internships. Half-time internships are available in the summer for two to eight weeks, with interns expected to work approximately 20 hours per week. Quarter-time internships are available all year round for one to nine months, with interns expected to work approximately eight hours per week. The internships are unpaid, and interns work from home while maintaining daily electronic contact with EnergyMag and their mentor. 

Depending on the student’s graduation date, academic record, and experience, interns will be asked to research and analyze a specific company, technology, or market. The intern will be mentored, briefed, supervised, and assisted in producing a draft analysis report. If the report is publishable, EnergyMag will give the intern an internship Letter of Accomplishment. 

The application process for college and high school internships requires an application explaining why EnergyMag should grant an internship, a Skype or voice interview, and a writing sample upon request. College interns are also required to provide their academic record, and high school interns should have at least one honors science or English class with a GPA above 3.25. 

EnergyMag believes that internships provide the opportunity for students to learn on-the-job skills that are not easy to acquire at school but will make a big difference in their future professional success, such as learning how to research a scientific or business issue, approach strangers with positions of authority in a friendly and professional manner, analyze and synthesize information from multiple sources, and communicate professionally in writing.

The blog highlights five virtual research opportunities for high school students, providing hands-on experience and research projects in various STEM fields such as mathematics, computer science, physics, neuroscience, and engineering. These virtual research opportunities aim to provide students with a deeper understanding of STEM and develop the necessary skills to succeed in academic and professional careers. Furthermore, these programs help expand knowledge and work on unsolved problems with established researchers from top-tier universities.

Virtual research opportunities for high school students provide a flexible and accessible way to gain valuable experience and knowledge from the comfort of their own homes. These programs aim to foster the intellectual growth and development of high school and middle school students, and inspire them to pursue their interests in these fields.

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This is the second post in a series.

What if high school students could conduct methodical research on important questions like graduate students and researchers do? Well, as the students at Laguna Beach High School (LBHS) are demonstrating, they can.

In Part I of this series I interviewed Jun Shen, the passionate teacher and edtech coordinator who runs LBHS’s Authentic Exploratory Research (AER) Program . AER is an independent research course inspired by Palo Alto Unified School District’s Advanced Authentic Research program . The program pairs students with adult mentors (such as LBUSD staff, industry experts, and academics) who assist the teens in researching their own big questions in fields of their choice. Shen’s explanation of how the AER program works, combined with students’ input through the rest of this interview series, lets us glimpse some of the different ways students can use the program to pursue individual passions , as well as how other educators can implement such a program.

LBHS student Aryana Mohajerian was the first to give us an account of her experience in AER and the findings that her AER research produced. Mohajerian’s answers follow each question below.

Jenny Grant Rankin: In short, what was your research study about?

Aryana Mohajerian: In short, my research was about marketing a membership program to different target demographics in a small, high-end, health-conscious, confectionary business in Hawaii.

I analyzed how new marketing efforts will help increase overall revenue and cash flow in the business. The new strategies I implemented were creating a set target market using survey data. I also created a brand kit with all the customer values, color palettes for the website, and copy.

JGR: What were your most important findings?

AM: My most important findings were that it is critical to know the psychology of business and be able to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. I had to figure out what a target market’s values, goals , and mindset are like to better appeal to their logic and emotions when trying to make a sale.

I distributed a survey to better understand the company’s current customers, what their values are, and what draws them towards purchasing.

When proposing ideas for what draws customers to the company, my hypothesis proved correct. 100% of people selected that they value environmental sustainability and the farm-to-table process. 70% of people selected that they are health-conscious consumers and 85% love the Hawaii-island, beachy lifestyle. With these proven conclusions, I created three new membership plans for Lonohana, each targeting a specific audience, according to the survey results.

The first membership was family-oriented, catering to children and their parents. The customer values were inclusivity, appeals to a health-conscious family, and living an active lifestyle in the great outdoors. The second membership caters to young adults. For example, college students or recent graduates living a youthful, and spontaneous lifestyle. This membership was an affordable line of products, since young adults like to have fun on a budget. These young individuals love the island lifestyle of Hawaii and love trying Lonohana’s unique flavors. The third membership was targeted toward more professional and formal individuals. These high-end customers value luxury products and the education behind making them. This membership included informational cards on each bar, describing how it was made and where the ingredients come from.

JGR: What was the biggest thing you learned about conducting research?

AM: The biggest thing I learned about conducting research is that it requires thorough planning and first making a hypothesis of what the results will be. Understanding the psychology behind why people spend money on luxury items was essential because it guided me on how I worded my survey to get the most honest responses from customers. For example, a customer value I noted was a sense of family and community involvement. Therefore, I concluded that customers are likely to purchase membership boxes to have enough gifts on hand for family or community gatherings, which was proven true based on the survey.

JGR: What was the biggest thing you learned about communicating research?

AM: The biggest thing I learned about communicating research is that I need to create an eye-catching, yet simple poster to present at the AER Symposium. When I did my presentation, I mainly focused on the visuals of my project and some easy-to-read graphs. I brought the marketing materials I had made, such as brochures, business cards, and the printed-out brand kit to show my audience. I found that having a hands-on experience with cohesively colored materials helped me get my message across in a fun way that did not bore anyone. Having all these materials helped invoke questions from my audience as well.

JGR: What was your favorite part about AER?

AM: My favorite part about AER was the fact that I was able to work with a real-world company while in high school alongside a mentor who was working my dream job. AER was such a unique opportunity for me to learn about my interest in marketing and the psychology behind why we buy luxury items. Although this was a class, it did not feel like traditional learning because I went out into the real world to enhance a business’s marketing tactics. Learning by doing is the best way to gain experience. I learned a lot more about marketing through my AER project than I did taking “Intro to Marketing” in a dual-enrollment community college class.

It’s exciting to find that the program advanced not only Mohajerian’s research skills but her career skills, as well. That is a common theme in students’ accounts of their AER experiences.

Jenny Grant Rankin, Ph.D., is a Fulbright Specialist for the U.S. Department of State.

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New $90 Million Project to Create Digital Research Hub Focused on K-12 Education

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The National Science Foundation has awarded Rice University $90 million to build what is being described as a first-of-its-kind education research hub that will leverage data from an array  of major digital learning platforms currently serving tens of millions of students. 

The university recently announced the investment as its largest ever federal research grant. OpenStax at Rice, a major publisher of open education resources, will build the research and development hub known as SafeInsights .

The project will focus on producing “research-informed insights about teaching and learning for educators, institutions and learning platforms to use to create tailored programs, pedagogies and policies that will equip learners to thrive.”

“Just like there are bigger telescopes that let astronomers see deeper into the night, SafeInsights’ goal is to have this large student population that will enable researchers to see deeper into the student learning experience,” Slavinsky said in an interview. 

The SafeInsights hub will take five years to build, he said, with early research projects b eginning in 16 to 18 months, and full-scale research operations starting in 2029. 

School districts’ commitment to seeking and using research-based educational strategies is uneven at best. Many district officials complain that academic and other scientifically based research is too abstract, disconnected from their work, and outdated to be of practical use in their decision-making.

When surveyed recently by EdWeek Market Brief on what sorts of research they value most when choosing products and services, district and school leaders were much more likely to point to data on student outcomes, or product usage data than they were rigorous, experimental research.

Data Security in Focus 

At $90 million, the award is NSF’s largest investment in research and development infrastructure for education at a national scale, the university said.

In the past, education research has been hampered by small study groups and short time frames, but the recent boom in digital learning can provide researchers with a plethora of data needed to better understand academic outcomes, Slavinsky said. 

SafeInsights’ goal is to have this large student population that will enable researchers to see deeper into the student learning experience. J.P. Slavinsky, Executive Director, SafeInsights

And research will not be limited to only STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) areas. Schools, education companies, and researchers participating in SafeInsights will bring their own research agenda, Slavinsky said.

Protecting student data is a major concern within school districts, particularly as  schools’ and students’ reliance on technology  has steadily grown.

The data collected as part of the new project will remain secure, Slavinsky said. No student information will be revealed to researchers. 

Instead, researchers will submit their inquiries to SafeInsights, and the research hub will have the data in question analyzed where it is originally stored — by schools or on a digital platform — and provide researchers with aggregate results. 

The research and development project will be a central hub for 80 partners and collaborating institutions. That number is expected to grow, Slavinsky said. 

“One of the great things about SafeInsights is that it is very scalable,” he said. “And we want to build this community, so we can get a better and better picture of the students and the teachers we’re trying to help.” 

Follow  EdWeek Market Brief  on Twitter  @EdMarketBrief  or connect with us on  LinkedIn .

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UCSB Research Mentorship Program (RMP) 2024

The UCSB Research Mentorship Program (RMP) is seeking graduate students, postdocs, and researchers to mentor high school students through a research project in STEM, humanities, social sciences, or education. Up to $1300 per project, per student. Application deadline is June 1. Learn More!

The UCSB Research Mentorship Program (RMP) is seeking graduate students, postdocs, and researchers for a paid mentorship opportunity this summer. RMP is a highly selective and competitive six-week summer program that engages qualified, talented high school students from all over the world in interdisciplinary, hands-on, university-level research. RMP is seeking mentors who can guide students through a research project in STEM, humanities, social sciences, or education.

Program Details :

RMP students are highly qualified and expect to work independently; in addition, students are well-prepared and have extensive programming, lab, and primary source analysis experience.

Mentors must meet mentees regularly to guide students through projects. 

Prospective Mentors may submit up to 2 projects (up to 2 students per project for a compensation of up to $5,200).

The proposed project must have a hands-on component (lab, field, computational, theory, archival, primary source analysis, etc.).

Mentor Eligibility:

Graduate Student, Postdoctoral Researcher, Research Scientist, or Faculty

Must be available (on campus) during the program dates—short travel trips are acceptable during this period as long as it does not impact student support

All disciplines considered in STEM, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education (interdisciplinary preferred)

Dates : RMP is offered during Summer Session A (June 17-August 2).

Mentor Stipend : $1,300 per project, per student

Application Deadline: June 1, 2024  *Space is limited! Mentor applications are accepted and approved on a rolling basis.

For more program information or to apply , please visit:  summer.ucsb.edu/rmp/ mentors General questions, please email:  [email protected]

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Career Research Projects for High School Students

Immersive projects are a great teaching tool to get students excited about a potential career path.

As a teacher or homeschooler of high school students, you know the importance of in-depth, hands-on instruction. The more your students see how to apply their career planning and exploration skills, the better. Check out these career research projects for high school students that you can use in your classroom immediately! You can head to our careers curriculum center for lesson plans and more materials you can use as well.

Career Research Projects – Essays and Written Products

Sometimes, the best approach is the simplest. These projects require students to research and type up essays or written reports.

• Career Research and Readiness Project: In this project , students take a personality assessment to see what kinds of careers they may enjoy. They research the job application and interview process, narrow their search to a few career choices, and then set SMART goals to help them achieve their dreams. 
• Career Research Project Paper: Students will like this project’s   simple, straightforward instructions and layout. The components are broken into manageable chunks, letting your high schoolers tackle the project in parts. By the end, they will produce a well-researched essay highlighting their career. 
• 3-Career Research Report: In this project , students choose three careers to focus on and create a written report. They learn MLA documentation, write business letters to organizations, take notes, and go through the formal writing process. This project has everything your students need to develop their career research reports with a rubric, parent letter, works cited page instructions, and more.
• STEM Careers Research Poster and Brochure: Students conduct comprehensive research in this project , using what they learn to create several items showing their knowledge. They research and learn about a specific career and make a posterboard presentation. Then they can create a brochure, present their findings to the class, and answer any questions that classmates and others may ask.
• Job Research Project: In this project , students first do research on any career they want. They must look up the various requirements, necessary skills, salary, and other details about the profession. They end with a thorough essay about their career, hopefully armed with the knowledge to help them in the future. The project is customizable to adapt to multiple grades, so your high school students will all benefit from the project. 

Career Research Projects – Digital Presentations

Fusing technology and research, these projects allow kids to show their knowledge through technology. Students create digital presentations and share them with the class using PowerPoint, Google Slides, and other formats.

• Career Research Project: This project works with many grades, and teachers can customize it to fit their students’ levels. They use PowerPoint to make a comprehensive slide show to demonstrate their knowledge. It breaks down career research into ten slides (you can add more as needed), and students will have a solid understanding of their future career path by the end of the assignment. 
• Career Presentation Project: In this project , high schoolers need to research career clusters, narrow their choices down to only one profession, and find many details about it. They look up median salary, entry-level pay, education requirements, required skills, and any additional benefits or perks that would attract potential applicants. They put all this information into a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation.
• Career and College Exploration Project: This project is broken down into clear and detailed descriptions for each slide of the presentation. It differs from other projects on the list because it weaves college research into the assignment, showing students the connection between education and careers. With 22 slides to complete, students will have an in-depth understanding of their chosen careers and how to navigate school and plan for future success.
• Career Exploration Project: This project is unique as it takes a realistic approach to career exploration, requiring students to find the pros and cons of three potential careers. They see that every job has perks and drawbacks, and part of pursuing a specific one comes down to their personal preference. The project includes a detailed outline, so students know precisely what to research and have on each slide of their digital presentation. Presenting their findings is a significant part of their grade, which helps strengthen their accountability, quality of work, and public speaking skills.
• Life Skills Career Research Project: This project is an excellent blend of hands-on production and digital skill-building, letting students show their findings in multiple formats. They research a career, finding things like education/training requirements, job responsibilities, drawbacks, benefits, opportunities for advancement, specific places of employment, and salaries. Students need to create a functional resume and attach it to the project. They use Google Drive to design poster components and can submit the project digitally or on a poster board.

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New advances in technology are upending education, from the recent debut of new artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like ChatGPT to the growing accessibility of virtual-reality tools that expand the boundaries of the classroom. For educators, at the heart of it all is the hope that every learner gets an equal chance to develop the skills they need to succeed. But that promise is not without its pitfalls.

“Technology is a game-changer for education – it offers the prospect of universal access to high-quality learning experiences, and it creates fundamentally new ways of teaching,” said Dan Schwartz, dean of Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE), who is also a professor of educational technology at the GSE and faculty director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning . “But there are a lot of ways we teach that aren’t great, and a big fear with AI in particular is that we just get more efficient at teaching badly. This is a moment to pay attention, to do things differently.”

For K-12 schools, this year also marks the end of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding program, which has provided pandemic recovery funds that many districts used to invest in educational software and systems. With these funds running out in September 2024, schools are trying to determine their best use of technology as they face the prospect of diminishing resources.

Here, Schwartz and other Stanford education scholars weigh in on some of the technology trends taking center stage in the classroom this year.

AI in the classroom

In 2023, the big story in technology and education was generative AI, following the introduction of ChatGPT and other chatbots that produce text seemingly written by a human in response to a question or prompt. Educators immediately worried that students would use the chatbot to cheat by trying to pass its writing off as their own. As schools move to adopt policies around students’ use of the tool, many are also beginning to explore potential opportunities – for example, to generate reading assignments or coach students during the writing process.

AI can also help automate tasks like grading and lesson planning, freeing teachers to do the human work that drew them into the profession in the first place, said Victor Lee, an associate professor at the GSE and faculty lead for the AI + Education initiative at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning. “I’m heartened to see some movement toward creating AI tools that make teachers’ lives better – not to replace them, but to give them the time to do the work that only teachers are able to do,” he said. “I hope to see more on that front.”

He also emphasized the need to teach students now to begin questioning and critiquing the development and use of AI. “AI is not going away,” said Lee, who is also director of CRAFT (Classroom-Ready Resources about AI for Teaching), which provides free resources to help teach AI literacy to high school students across subject areas. “We need to teach students how to understand and think critically about this technology.”

Immersive environments

The use of immersive technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality is also expected to surge in the classroom, especially as new high-profile devices integrating these realities hit the marketplace in 2024.

The educational possibilities now go beyond putting on a headset and experiencing life in a distant location. With new technologies, students can create their own local interactive 360-degree scenarios, using just a cell phone or inexpensive camera and simple online tools.

“This is an area that’s really going to explode over the next couple of years,” said Kristen Pilner Blair, director of research for the Digital Learning initiative at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, which runs a program exploring the use of virtual field trips to promote learning. “Students can learn about the effects of climate change, say, by virtually experiencing the impact on a particular environment. But they can also become creators, documenting and sharing immersive media that shows the effects where they live.”

Integrating AI into virtual simulations could also soon take the experience to another level, Schwartz said. “If your VR experience brings me to a redwood tree, you could have a window pop up that allows me to ask questions about the tree, and AI can deliver the answers.”

Gamification

Another trend expected to intensify this year is the gamification of learning activities, often featuring dynamic videos with interactive elements to engage and hold students’ attention.

“Gamification is a good motivator, because one key aspect is reward, which is very powerful,” said Schwartz. The downside? Rewards are specific to the activity at hand, which may not extend to learning more generally. “If I get rewarded for doing math in a space-age video game, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be motivated to do math anywhere else.”

Gamification sometimes tries to make “chocolate-covered broccoli,” Schwartz said, by adding art and rewards to make speeded response tasks involving single-answer, factual questions more fun. He hopes to see more creative play patterns that give students points for rethinking an approach or adapting their strategy, rather than only rewarding them for quickly producing a correct response.

Data-gathering and analysis

The growing use of technology in schools is producing massive amounts of data on students’ activities in the classroom and online. “We’re now able to capture moment-to-moment data, every keystroke a kid makes,” said Schwartz – data that can reveal areas of struggle and different learning opportunities, from solving a math problem to approaching a writing assignment.

But outside of research settings, he said, that type of granular data – now owned by tech companies – is more likely used to refine the design of the software than to provide teachers with actionable information.

The promise of personalized learning is being able to generate content aligned with students’ interests and skill levels, and making lessons more accessible for multilingual learners and students with disabilities. Realizing that promise requires that educators can make sense of the data that’s being collected, said Schwartz – and while advances in AI are making it easier to identify patterns and findings, the data also needs to be in a system and form educators can access and analyze for decision-making. Developing a usable infrastructure for that data, Schwartz said, is an important next step.

With the accumulation of student data comes privacy concerns: How is the data being collected? Are there regulations or guidelines around its use in decision-making? What steps are being taken to prevent unauthorized access? In 2023 K-12 schools experienced a rise in cyberattacks, underscoring the need to implement strong systems to safeguard student data.

Technology is “requiring people to check their assumptions about education,” said Schwartz, noting that AI in particular is very efficient at replicating biases and automating the way things have been done in the past, including poor models of instruction. “But it’s also opening up new possibilities for students producing material, and for being able to identify children who are not average so we can customize toward them. It’s an opportunity to think of entirely new ways of teaching – this is the path I hope to see.”

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ACS Project SEED Program – Bringing Research and High School Students Together

This summer, 17 high school students in the American Chemical Society Snake River Section will have the opportunity to conduct research through the ACS Project SEED program.

Project SEED, originally “Summer Experiences for the Economically Disadvantaged,” was born in 1968. Now 56 years old, the program has provided hands-on summer research experiences and webinars to over 13,000 students across the U.S. and its territories. The Project SEED Mission is “to provide sustained STEM research, learning, and growth opportunities for high school students with diverse identities and socioeconomic backgrounds so they can be empowered to advance and enrich the chemical science enterprise.”

Each year, high school students spend 10 weeks in an industry lab or at host institutions like Boise State University working alongside PIs and qualified mentors on cutting-edge research projects. In addition to the technical skills learned in the lab, students will participate in professional development activities to enhance skills in time management, teamwork, and research presentation. The Project SEED webinars cover topics such as personal and chemical safety, career exploration, college readiness, resume building, and mental health and wellness. The summer experience is culminated in a poster presentation where the student present their research, with this year’s presentations being held at the Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research.

The ACS Snake River Section Project SEED coordinator is Boise State’s Dr. Don Warner, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. This year he placed 17 students, 8 of whom are returning participants. He received 70 applications and conducted 24 initial interviews to fill the 9 open spots. Two students are going to Northwest Nazarene University to work with Jerry Harris on synthesizing and characterizing zinc oxide nanoparticles with enhanced antimicrobial properties. Two more will go to Danny Xu’s lab at Idaho State University – Meridian to research the effects of Lunar and Martian regolith on zebrafish.

The remaining 13 students will be working in several laboratories across campus at Boise State University this summer. The PIs hosting students, and their projects, are:

• Oliviero Andreussi: Computational Study of Materials for Electro-Catalysis
• Leonora Bittleston: 4: Exploring the effects of leaf chemistry on microbial colonization
• Eric Brown: Development of molecules that inhibit a bacteria’s ability to cause disease
• Ken Cornell: Analysis of Antimicrobial Activity of Nanoparticles and Organometallic Complexes
• Jenée Cyran & Brian McClain: Developing innovative Physical Chemistry Lab Modules
• Owen McDougal: Chemistry of Food Systems
• Konrad Meister: Cool Molecules: Understanding the Mode of Action of Ice-Binding Macromolecules
• Don Warner: Synthesis of small molecules for inhibition of tumor metastasis
• Claire Xiong: Sodium Ion Batteries

Participants in the Project SEED program are awarded a stipend for their efforts, providing low-income students the opportunity to participate while earning money to help support their families. This crucial funding in 2024 is largely from the American Chemical Society, but also contributed to by Northwest Nazarene University, the ACS Snake River Local Section, and from Boise State University’s College of Arts & Sciences, Research and Economic Development, Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry & Biochemistry, several individual PIs, and the university itself. Some of the program’s graduates will also receive scholarships from Project SEED to help fund their undergraduate education.

For more information on this amazing program, visit ACS News to read Project SEED’s Impact Continues to Grow .

Interested in getting involved? Visit Project SEED on the American Chemical Society’s webpage.

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

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New York Fed Announces Selected Papers in the High School Fed Challenge

NEW YORK—The Federal Reserve Bank of New York today announced the results of this year’s High School Fed Challenge , an academic paper competition in which student teams researched and analyzed an economic theme, then wrote podcast scripts reflecting their research. The selected podcast scripts will be published in this year’s Journal of Future Economists, to be released this summer .

The theme of this year’s competition was the Economics of Work. School teams submitted 80 papers; of those, New York Fed reviewers selected 12 to publish. The schools and podcast scripts that will be included in the journal are as follows, listed in alphabetical order by school name:

• Bergen County Technical High School, Teterboro, NJ; The Elderly Economy: America’s Aging Workforce
• Bridgewater-Raritan High School, Bridgewater, NJ; The AI Takeover: A Hoax or Reality?
• Cold Spring Harbor Jr./Sr. High School, Cold Spring Harbor, NY; Tipping Culture: A Comparative Analysis
• Floral Park Memorial High School, Floral Park, NY; The BTS Effect: Growing South Korea's Economy and the Workforce Both Indirectly and Directly
• Glen Rock High School, Glen Rock, NJ; Sheconomics: Beyond Plastic─Barbie and Women Shaping the Workforce
• Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT; Gig-a-Bite: Food Delivery and the Rise of the Gig Economy
• High School for Math, Science, and Engineering at CCNY, New York, NY; America's Trucking Industry: The Hard Road Ahead
• John P. Stevens High School, Edison, NJ; Ear to the Ground: Unearthing the Decline of Labor in Corn Farming
• New Canaan High School, New Canaan, CT; Why Money Matters: Immigration and the American Workforce
• Passaic County Technical Institute, Wayne, NJ; Nurses on Strike: Who Will Take Care of Them?
• Ridge High School, Basking Ridge, NJ; Four-Day Forecast
• The Brearley School, New York, NY; Deflating the Productivity-Compensation Puzzle

The High School Fed Challenge aims to encourage students in ninth to twelfth grade to learn more about economics, promoting economics as a subject of study and a career possibility. Students are not required to have studied economics to participate.

“All the papers we reviewed displayed the curiosity, creativity, data analysis skills, and attention to detail that are the hallmarks of a gifted economist,” said Heather Daly, director of economic education at the New York Fed. “Students tackled everything from the aging workforce in the trucking industry to the possibility of standardizing a four-day workweek.”

In addition to hosting the High School Fed Challenge, the New York Fed’s economic education team offers a host of free resources for educators. The team has drafted worksheets and lesson plans on globalization , the flow of money , redlining , and changes in the cost of living over a century ; a series of comic books on the economy , available in English and Spanish; and a series of interactive worksheets spotlighting pathbreaking economists . The New York Fed also conducts classroom visits and professional development training for teachers and hosts the College Fed Challenge in the fall. The New York Fed’s Museum and Learning Center is also open, by reservation, for guided school group visits.

“The critical thinking skills we aim to foster by exposing students to economics are also essential in every other discipline, as well as everyday life,” Daly said. “Our goal is for our work to have a multiplier effect, helping students throughout their studies and careers.”

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25+ Research Ideas in Economics for High School Students

The field of economics is one of the most popular choices for high school students transferring to college. It is a vast field with possibilities of quantitative and qualitative research. Economics has significant intersections with finance, business, geopolitics, world trade, tech (fintech!). If you are interested in economics, there is a lot to figure out and choose from.

What are the elements of a good research question?

The first thing you should look at while finalizing a research problem is relevancy. You should pick an idea that aims to fill an existing knowledge gap in the field or proposes solutions to a problem. Be as original as possible .

You should also ensure that the research you choose to undertake is feasible in terms of resources, time, effort, and complexity. While it may be tempting to choose an extremely challenging research question, know the sweet spot between being comfortable enough to conduct the research, and challenging yourself as a student of economics.

Additionally, make sure you understand the fundamentals of independent research .

Once you have a clear research question, you would have addressed relevance, innovation, feasibility, and significance. Then, it’s time to think through the methodology, ethics, and reporting style.

How Can Research Help With Your College Admissions?

College admissions officers are looking for students that demonstrate critical thinking skills, problem identification and solving skills, sound academic writing, as well as a mature eye for gaps in a field that they aim to solve with research.

Working on a research project helps you check all of the boxes above and boosts your profile. It also shows that you are curious and can create opportunities for yourself.

Ambitious high school students who are selected for the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs work on a research area of their interest and receive 1-1 mentorship by top Ph.D. scholars. Below, we share some of the research ideas that have been proposed by our research mentors – we hope they inspire you!

25 Research Ideas in Economics

We compiled 25 research ideas from our research mentors - these are PhD researchers in economics from Stanford, Harvard, Cambridge, and a few others!

Topic #1 : Climate Crisis through an Economic Lens

The climate crisis is not just an environmental concern. A rise in carbon emissions, rising food pricing due to inadequate agricultural output, as well as the cost and availability of fuel all affect the global economy in more ways than we think. As a researcher in the field of climate crisis through an economic lens, you can conduct exciting research in the field of supply and demand for fossil fuel, working on more sustainable policies for conservation frameworks, to name a few. For this project, you can conduct both rich primary and secondary research, at a local/regional or global scale, depending on your research goals.

Here are a few ideas you can pick -

1. Analyze differing viewpoints on how central banks can and/or should respond to climate change and its associated risks.

2. Study how the economic impacts of climate change are likely to vary in different regions and at different points in the income distribution.

3. Study the impact climate change may have on monetary policy.

4. Learn about hindrances and behavioral strategies to foster climate-friendly diets.

Ideas contributed by Lumiere Mentors from Boston University, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of Cambridge, and University College London.

Topic #2 : Game Theory and its Applications

One of the most exciting fields for research, game theory is a mathematical concept framework that helps us understand decision-making behavior in situations where two or more players or agents interact with each other. You might have heard about the famous Prisoner's Dilemma , an example most commonly cited while explaining Game Theory. You can conduct research, and apply your findings in social sciences such as psychology , politics , and biology !

Here are a few ideas -

5. Apply game theoretic methods to improve market outcomes in the area of matching markets (e.g. labor or dating markets) and negotiations.

6. Answer questions such as the ones below using game theory to analyze strategic interactions among the players -

Why do wars occur?

What are the optimal fighting strategies for the conflicting parties?

What are the optimal peacekeeping strategies for the peacekeeper?

7. Examine the impact of information on strategic decision-making.

Ideas contributed by Lumiere Mentors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Cambridge.

Topic #3 : Economics and AI

As is the case with multiple other subjects, AI is becoming closely integrated with Economics with every passing day. A great example of the integration of AI and Economics is predictive analytics. Using the vast amounts of data available online, we can train software to interpret this data to make assumptions about economic events in the near future. If you're interested in computer science, algorithms, and data science, AI x Economics is a great research field for you.

You can pick up an idea or two from the following -

8. Examine the relationship between income inequality and economic growth using data from different countries or regions.

9. Study the potential biases and fairness issues that can crop up in AI-powered economic decision-making, particularly in the context of lending and credit decisions.

10. Study how machine learning algorithms can be used to predict stock prices, economic indicators, or other financial metrics.

11. Study the implications for technologies such as blockchain to increase trust in an increasingly decentralized world.

Idea contributed by Lumiere Mentor from the University of Southern California

Topic #4 :Gender Studies from an Economics Perspective

Just like we covered economics, and climate change as subjects that intersect with economics, gender too, is seen in the intersection. As part of your research, you can use secondary data taken from sociological, anthropological, and psychological studies, and apply them in the field of economics.

Here are a few interesting ideas that you can pursue -

12. Explore the factors that influence labor force participation rates for men and women.

13. Study the economic value of unpaid work, especially that taken up by women in a traditional role such as that of a housewife.

14. How do changes in social safety net policies affect economically vulnerable families? You can answer questions like

Why is health insurance important for young adults?

How does the minimum wage affect employment and earnings? How does paid maternity leave affect the gender wage gap?

15. Explore STEM course enrolment differences across male and female students. You can use principles from behavioral economics to explain possible reasons for gender disparities in STEM course enrolment.

Idea contributed by Lumiere Mentor from the University of California, Davis.

Topic #5 : Consumer Behaviour through an Economic Lens

This research field is more of an overlap between the fields of psychology and economics . If you're a budding marketing or entrepreneur , conducting research in the field of consumer behavior will help you build your portfolio, gain more knowledge about the field right before college, and give you a better insight into why people carry out purchases the way they do - an interesting insight to have as a consumer yourself!

Here are a few research ideas -

16. Analyse and examine contract design used by firms - which factors contribute to a more ready acceptance of a contract, and which factors make the contract more prone to negotiation/rejection?

17. How do consumers respond to energy efficiency programs that provide information and/or incentives - how do we design these programs and energy policy to increase demand for energy efficiency products?

18. Research different pricing strategies such as discounts, coupons, and bundling, and how they affect consumer behavior.

19. Study how consumers respond to energy efficiency programs that provide information and/or incentives - how does one design programs and energy policies to increase demand for energy efficiency products?

Ideas contributed by Lumiere Mentors from INSEAD, and Cornell University.

Topic #6 : Agriculture and Rural Development

Another exciting field of research in economics, agriculture, and rural development allows you to apply global concepts in highly localized and concentrated areas, such as your region or state. As a researcher, you can pick up topics such as subsidies and production, international food trade, as well as policies created for the betterment of individuals in rural areas of a particular country or region.

Here are a few more ideas -

20. Learn about how the market power of intermediaries in agriculture affects the income of the farmers. You can study, for example, the passing of the controversial Farm Bills in India.

21. Analyze the potential for reducing food waste to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development, and develop strategies to combat food waste at a local level.

22. In line with research in the field of climate change, examine the economic implications of climate change for farmers, rural communities, and food security.

23. Study the effects of global food trade on various farming communities.

24. Examine the impact of supply chain issues on the industry, such as food waste and supply chain disruptions.

25. Analyze the impact of labor issues in your state/region on the agricultural industry and evaluate potential solutions that you can recommend to local leadership.

Idea contributed by Lumiere Mentor from the University of Michigan.

Topic #7 : Public Policy and Finance

Another exciting interdisciplinary area of research , public policy, and finance ties in closely with law, politics, and to a certain extent, international relations! As a young researcher in the field, you can consult local leaders, reports of policy change, and analysis of policies by a particular party in a country and how it impacted the country's economy in the long run, to name a few.

You need to have a keen eye for cause-effect as well as a mature perspective on policy in the public sphere before you conduct research.

26. Study how federal and local tax policy has evolved and the potential impact it's had on structural inequities and wealth and income inequality.

27. Understand vertical mergers and their impact on the economy, and -

learn about some of the biggest firms' practices to reduce market competition

investigate how policymakers are currently addressing this issue.

28. Think about policies that allow governments in low-income countries to collect more revenue and provide better services for their citizens.

29. Study the impact of recent healthcare policies in your state or region on access and cost of healthcare.

Ideas contributed by Lumiere Mentors from the University of Michigan, and the University of Southern California.

If you are interested in doing university-level research in economics, then you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for students that I founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 2100 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here .

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

Image source: Stock image

Could you please provide some research ideas in physics?