Working in Support of Education (w!se) announced the prizewinners of the 2009 Quality of Life Scholarship Competition Final Round and Award Ceremony on Friday, May 29, 2009, at The McGraw-Hill Companies, 1221 6th Avenue, 2nd Floor. The Quality of Life Awards Ceremony honors student excellence in generating FEASIBLE innovative ideas to improve life in New York City. Since 1996, more than 16,000 inner city New York City students from all five boroughs have participated in the QL competition. Through the QL Scholarship Competition, more than $400,000 in scholarships and implementation grants have been awarded to students since its inception.
The prize money, provided by The New York Community Trust went to:
First Place: $4,000
Stephanie Peraffan & Miranda Rupchand, Forest Hills High School
“Making Condoms Accessible to High School Students” (Queens)
Teenagers across the United States are learning about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and infections in their sex education classes, but many of these teenagers still ignore the risks of early sexual activity. This research proposal articulates the risks of HIV and other STDs and the effective methods of preventing unwanted early pregnancy among sexually-active high school students. While free condoms are currently available in New York City high school offices, some students, are embarrassed to request them because they are required to show identification and ask a school staff member. Stephanie Peraffan and Miranda Rupchand recommend a “Condom Availability Plan”, which consists of informational wallet cards distributed to all students and condom vendor machines in school locker rooms.
“Not only are we taking away the embarrassment of having to ask for condoms publicly, but we are giving students information that they should have gotten the first day of high school.”
Second Place: $2,000
Isuree Katugampala & Zhanna Kaufman, Staten Island Technical High School
“Awareness of the Use of Toxic Chemicals in Toy Production” (Staten Island)
The issue of toxic toys has been analyzed in past years, but very little has been done to change the laws effecting toxic chemicals in toys. High exposure to toxic chemicals can hinder brain, liver, kidney and lung development in children. Based on their research, Isuree Katugampala and Zhanna Kaufman suggest parents seek information on their newly created website, “NotSoSqueakyClean.com”, that informs the public about the latest news regarding toxic chemicals in toys, and they are organizing a “Toxic Toy Awareness Day”, where parents learn about the extremely harmful chemicals that are used in toy production and can create their own toys.
Third Place: $1,000
Milana Babaisakova & Tamara Zargarova, Forest Hills High School
“Buckle Up Baby!” (Queens)
Many children lives are needlessly taken because of the improper installation of car seats. This proposal raises awareness about the proper installation of car safety seats; in their proposal, Milana Babaisakova and Tamara Zargarova recommend that car seat manufacturers provide informational red alert labels on their boxes and seats informing consumers of the website where they can have their car seats installed or inspected locally at no cost.
Daily News Writing Award: $300
Cecelia Taylor & Le Van, Dewitt Clinton High School
“The Impact of Domestic Abuse on Teenagers” (The Bronx)
Borough Leaders (Leading proposals in each borough)
Brooklyn
1. Sandy Bonilla, High School for Public Service, “Lack of Education Among Mexican American Youth”
2. Kitty Chau, High School of Telecommunications, Arts and Technology, “The Outsiders: Pit Bull Misconception”
3. Jennifer Mero, High School of Telecommunications, Arts and Technology, “Video Game Violence”
4. Samantha Perez, High School of Telecommunications, Arts and Technology, “Safety and Cleanliness in NYC Subways”
Manhattan
1. Nancy Corona High School of Economics & Finance, “Giving Hispanic Parents a Voice: Raising Awareness About Parental Involvement in Schools”
2. Bin Zhao & Chen Paichen Cai, High School of Economics & Finance, “Littering in Chinatown, NYC”
Queens
1. Karen Abramowitz Townsend Harris High School, “Combating Weight Discrimination in NYC Public High Schools”
2. Fatema Jannat Townsend Harris High School, “An Analysis of Menthol Cigarette Advertisements and Marketing Techniques”
3. Damian Pas, Grover Cleveland High School, “Water Pollution in Newton Creek”
Staten Island
1. Paulami Beanerji & Salihe Redzovic, Staten Island Technical High School, “Increasing Local Park Appeal Among Adolescents”
2. Bishoy Ghobryal, Staten Island Technical High School, “Life Events and Anger in Teens”
3. Jeremy Meyers, Staten Island Technical High School, “The Impact of Globalization on American's Quality of Life in Current Recession”
The Bronx
1. Timi Chu, Bronx High School of Science, “Medical Literature to Combat Obesity”
2. Irene Bruce, Anna Hewitt & Lousine Boyaknondjyan, Bronx High School of Science, “Improving the Quality of NYC Underground Transit System”
3. Christian Perez & Noemi Henriquez, Dewitt Clinton High School, “Teenage Driving: Changing Laws, Saving Lives”
If you are interested in speaking to Phyllis Frankfort, President & CEO of w!se or any of the prizewinners, please contact Eric Katzman at 212-421-2700 or ekatzman@wise-ny.org.
Program Sponsors
The QL Program is supported by The New York Community Trust’s Reader’s Digest and Leadership Fund, Bloomberg L.P., The McGraw-Hill Companies, Brooklyn Public Library, Chipotle, Daily News, Edison Schools, New York Public Library, New York City Department of Education, New York City Office of the Mayor, Queens Library, Staples, Whole Foods, Youth Venture and individual donors.
About The Quality of Life Program
The Quality of Life Program, a Working In Support of Education (W!SE) initiative, teaches high school students to become social entrepreneurs by using applied research to solve real-world problems. Students identify an important social issue, undertake scholarly examination of that issue, and develop feasible solutions. This year more than 325 proposals were received from students in all five boroughs.
About Working In Support of Education (w!se)
Working In Support of Education (w!se) is an educational 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to providing educational support services nationwide, building financial literacy, fostering business and social entrepreneurship, and preparing students for college and the global workplace.
Media Contact: Eric Katzman at (212) 421-2700 or ekatzman@wise-ny.org