Nick:
I really liked the concept for this project because it allowed me and some of my peers to promote awareness to an issue that almost every high school student in America faces. Also, because of the nature of my topic, it allowed me to add some of my own personal input into what it’s like going through this because of my affiliation with it. Sleep deprivation is not just prevalent in teens in school, but also with some young adults who have busy schedules. I knew that this issue was common in the US, but by doing this project, it really opened my eyes to how severe this issue is. Also, when I read about the plans and ideas the government and other groups were trying to establish in an attempt to combat this issue, I was shocked at how ineffective they were and I was baffled at the outlandish techniques they used. After seeing all this, I knew that I needed to step in to make sure that change is put in place that benefits the population affected by this epidemic. Alex: Having the opportunity to take part in a project like project citizen has taught me that anyone can make a change within their community no matter how small they feel within it. I liked being able to make a difference regarding a topic that affected me specifically and one that has proven to affect the vast majority of teenagers, specifically those at Ridge High School. I feel much more educated on a topic I am interested in now that I have completed research for this project and I can now use this new information and educate others on the facts and the severity of this issue as well, in order to spread awareness. After completing the first steps of the action plan has also taught me methods to follow through with and idea to better society, steps such as creating social media to spread awareness of the issue and taking surveys in order to see how our issue applies to the general population. Finally, through this project I discovered the best ways to come up with solutions to problems without one clear answer by comparing the pros and cons of all solutions.
Katherine: Project citizen has allowed me to promote awareness regarding an issue that negatively impacts the everyday lives of students. It forced me to recognize that one student or a group of kids, as small as six members, has the ability to promote change when desired. It taught me that change can only occur through actions and not through solely a conversation. It allowed me to understand the process of decision making and how both negative and positive decisions follow an opinion. This project was also extremely gratifying because it was different from the majority of school assignments. Sleep deprivation is something that directly influences all of us, myself included. Therefore my work ethic and determination throughout this project was heightened because the topic was relevant to myself and my peers. In addition to being interested in this project, I enjoyed the length of the project. Unlike the majority of other assignments the extensive amount of time we had to work, allowed me to fully understand all aspects of our issue and our potential solutions. It let me recognize all the components that would be affected by our solutions. Over all I genuinely enjoyed myself throughout the duration of this project. It gave me the closest opportunity I’ve been exposed to regarding attempting to make a difference in what I feel strongly about.
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Christina: Working on this project has taught me a variety of things. I learned more about the effects of sleep deprivation and how prevalent it is in our town and in America. I'm glad that now I know even more about a topic that I feel strongly about and a topic that I'm eager to see a change in. Also, through working on the Action plan I learned more about how we can make a change in our community and about what us as students can do to make a difference. I didn't realize how much a group of students could influence decision making in our town. I enjoyed working on a topic that affects me and a lot of people I know, and thinking of ways we can fix it.
Andrew: This project was very enjoyable and rewarding because we had the ability to work on something that was bigger than just agreed in school. Doing something that will impact the community in a positive way is great thing and it allowed me to see how much of a difference a few individuals can make. Also, it was a nice change to work on something that we believe instead of just learning in school. The biggest takeaway for me was knowing that this was different than any other project and that we can spark positive change in the community. I have also learned many useful skills for the future such as developing a plan to combat a problem and making a website. Also, our group was unbelievably supportive of each other, which made the project fun and made us want to do well. I had a great time with the group and I believe that helped us tremendously. Overall the project had a positive impact on me and I hope it does the same for the community as a whole. Grace: This experience was really interesting learning about the statistics dealing with sleep deprivation in teenagers. Expectations of students these days are extremely high and they are under an immense amount of pressure to feel successful in order to achieve their desired goals. With this being said it is very obvious why they spend countless hours perfecting school work as well as skills in sports in addition to being a part of every club possible for college applications. At the end of the day, sleep is just as important to breakfast to live a healthy lifestyle. Sleep, especially in teens is something people should not take lightly and this project definitely helped us realize that.
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