Interdisciplinary project database

Consider the impact that hostile architecture has not only on people, but on the environment. For example, spikes are added to the ledges of buildings to prevent birds from gathering and dirtying walls. How does this impact the ecosystem?

There’s a lot to be learned from older generations! Talk to people of previous generations and conduct a research study/reporting on their knowledge and what they did. How does this differ in comparison to your own generation?

Read about how artists pitch their work to galleries. Consider: is it important for artists to have public speaking skills to present their ideas? Why would it matter, if at all, to display your work in a public setting like a gallery? And, is it possible for our current works to be in a gallery right now?

Analyze the systems of your own community. What is an issue that exists that needs to be solved? How many people are connected to that issue? How can they be brought together? Make a systems-thinking map to analyze a solution.

Our social and cultural biases often appear in the study of history itself, whose stories are told, whose perspectives get left out, and how we remember historical events in public spaces. Research or visit historical monuments in your area. Whose stories do they tell? How are those stories remembered? What people or events should be commemorated in public spaces but aren’t? Design a historical monument!

Learn about how governments crack down on subversive art and examine how artists should be dealt with, after all – graffiti is an illegal activity in many areas of the world. How does this correspond to anti-social forms of graffiti, such as gang tagging?

Arcology is a future-driven building initiative to create self-sustaining communities, usually in the form of large, multi-faceted skyscrapers. Check out this link which provides information about the practice. What stands out to students? Is this a viable practice? What would be the alternatives?

Investigate the impact of social media on young people. Whether it is extremism, social isolation, self-image, or any other drawback, prepare an interactive report that informs other young people on ways to use social media appropriately.

Read about the various ways that world hunger is associated with other UN Sustainable Development Goals (beyond feeding the world), such as 15) Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. How can war impact the ability to supply food around the world? Have students trace and document different examples of how the food supply chain is negatively impacted by various undesirable events.

Analyze the impact of walkable cities on where one chooses to live. How much of a health difference does it make to work in an area where you can walk and commute to work? To the places you want to go? What about access to public transportation?

Learn about the various ways that posture and body language play a role in presentation skills. How can we align our posture to change how others perceive us? How does posture help and aid our growth and development? What exercises or techniques can we use?

Analyze the chemicals used within the fast fashion industry. How does wearing these clothes impact one’s body? Consider operating a lab that studies the impact of wearing different clothes, with their materials and production components, on one’s body.

Analyze how your local community has incorporated “future technology” over the years to the betterment of its populace. For example, how has your city designed roads, traffic signals, public transit, or building materials? What could they do to further these developments?

Embracing the different languages of the world can lead to a flourishing, multicultural society. However, there is a fear that these languages will “replace” the mainstream language of the area. Showcase your community’s various speakers and dialects, highlighting the importance of a diverse community.

Reach out to members of your community and survey how they use social media. What are your findings? Summarize and display these ideas to educate others on how social media can be used for good (or perhaps not!)

Conduct the Harvard Project Zero “What makes you say that?” activity, which helps students share their interpretation of why they believe certain things, such as their expectations for the future.

Reach out to local mathematicians, such as at a local university, to better understand what mathematicians do in the modern age. Consider the problems that have yet to be solved and the reason why these matter.

Great art is often done in partnership with others. Reach out to local artists to listen, learn, and improve on. Who are the great local artists of your area? What do they specialize in? Research more about them and conduct interviews on their tips and techniques. Then, use this work to inform your own.

How are values built into physical and digital spaces? Examine your immediate surroundings, take inventory of how your space is arranged, what hangs on the walls and ceilings, what objects seem to have the most or least importance, what does the space communicate about who is valued, etc. Make a list of values and importance that is derived from your observations. What changes can you make to this space to have it reflect different values?

As people begin to demand more opportunities for personal time, more and more workplaces are offering 4 day workweeks. What impact does this have on the world? Examine how this practice impacts society.

Standing up for yourself goes beyond being willing to take a stand in-person. Increasingly, hatred and bullying finds itself almost entirely online, especially in anonymized spaces. Conduct an independent investigation of how cyberbullying emerges in your community, offering countermeasures for other young people to take and presenting on these ideas.

Read about how people fall into homelessness and the struggles that people face, including financial barriers to gaining housing.

Find and read the accounts of artists describing their creative process. Find the similarities and differences in their processes, and brainstorm how tenacity and grit fit in.

Alternatively, interview artists at any level about their creative process. Share with them your understanding of this lesson and ask them how tenacity and grit fit into how they create art!

Consider how environmental activists use the medium as the message: such as recycled art and art made of trash to symbolize the need for change.

So many people have unrecognized abilities. Hold a talent competition for a specific music, art, or culinary style. Showcase the talents of the competitors to the community.

Identify community spaces in which other young people can grow their abilities in one or more of these “soft skills”, e.g. extracurricular clubs, local employer events, community events, etc. What organizations and activities build which skills? If there isn’t a space for young people to develop these skills, create your own!

Having access to quality green spaces ensures that community members have healthier, more desirable places to live. Make a map of your community that highlights all of the areas that could be renovated, demolished, or rezoned for green space. Consider the impact on the community (including the areas that you’re changing), and whether or not these green spaces are worthwhile. Present this to local stakeholders.

Consider how the science of equality, equity, and money are connected to happiness. See resources like The Inner Level by Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett for more information.

Consider the impact of the environment on one’s health. Why is it that certain demographics have certain health issues, diagnosis, etc.? What impact does community safety and environmental racism have on health outcomes?

Stories in various mediums (such as books, movies, lyrics, and games) are one of the best ways to develop an emotional connection on perceived harms, bullying, and counteracting hate. Encourage students to share stories of when they’ve felt disrespected, either by other students or by educators, and give them private spaces to share these and learn from each other.

It is important to make plans, but various events will cause us to shift our goals. For example, activist and President of South Africa Nelson Mandela studied English, anthropology, politics, "native administration", Roman Dutch law, and was actively involved in ballroom dancing.

Look at various famous leaders, professionals, and activists throughout your country’s history. What was their upbringing? What did they do in school? If they attended higher education, what did they major in? Ultimately, how does this all compare to what they did historically?

Check out excerpts of The Mathematical Essence of Aging from Theoretically Speaking. Think about how much mathematics is intertwined with the way we live every single day. Why does this knowledge matter?