prison
Justice System
Grade 7

Prison Reform

The Pew Center reported in 2008 that more than 1 in 100 adults are now behind bars in America, the highest rate of any country in the world. Think of the number of people in your middle school. For me, it’s 300. That would mean that 3 of those students I see every day, eating […]

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Education
Grade 12

AP for All

My name is Haniebal Gebrie and I am a graduating senior from E.L. Haynes High School. An AP class can change the life of every child, but less than 30% of black and brown students are currently enrolled. As someone who has taken 3 AP classes, I’ve experienced the benefits first-hand. While at first I […]

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prescription pills
Healthcare
Grade 10

End the Opioid Crisis

Imagine taking the daily vitamin that your doctor prescribed to you. You take this pill so often that it becomes second nature to you. So you do not realize when you start taking it more than you should. You have grown dependent on this vitamin and you cannot stop taking it. You are now addicted. […]

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Gun Control
Grade 7

School Shootings

Close your eyes and imagine this, “I love you so much mom. Forgive me for everything I did bad. I love you. I love you. I love you.” That was Aliyah Eastman, a high schooler that was involved the Parkland Florida school shooting. Imagine this was your child. This was your child calling you because […]

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Gun Control
Grade 10

Gun Control in America

Imagine a kid is walking home from school. The kid is excited, skipping trying to get home faster. He just got a one hundred on his math test. Next to him is his best friend. They part ways. He rounds the corner to his house and sees police cars and ambulances. He climbs the stairs […]

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pollution factory
Environment
Adult

Protecting Our Home, Our Environment

Did you know that we are becoming the architects of our own destruction by damaging the environment? We are using 50% more natural resources up than the Earth can provide. The protection of our environment is a very important issue for me because I have seen and experienced climate change. As well, I am worried […]

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only yes is yes
Domestic and Sexual Violence
Grade 10

Ending Sexual Violence

Hello, my name is Kiera Lyles and I am in 9th grade at Cesar Chavez Parkside High School. Did you know that over 400,000 women and girls are victims of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States? I want to live in a world where women and girls are not getting sexually […]

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child bride
Gender Equality
Grade 10

Child Marriage

Hello, my name is Destiny Hardy a 10th grader from McKinley Tech, and my topic is child marriage. Do you have a child under the age of 18? Now, how would you like to attend their wedding this year? Approximately 12 million girls are married before they turn 18 every year; underaged girls – like […]

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bombed building
Government
Grade 10

U.S. Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia

Hello, my name is Cristian Cardona, and I am a sophomore at Banneker High School! Foreign Policy is often overlooked in politics, and we have to address the cases where we are hurting rather than helping. As an American citizen and a person with political aspirations, I want to see change, especially in our international […]

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domestic violence 1
Domestic and Sexual Violence
Grade 7

The Problem of Domestic Violence

Greetings, my name is Brizel Martinez Cruz and today we will be addressing domestic violence against women. Imagine your husband entering your home immediately abusing you and, if your children dare to interfere, they get abused as well. This is what my grandma faced almost all her life. My grandma faced this situation because of […]

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classroom test scaled
Education
Grade 7

How ESSA Affects Students

My name is Christopher Nelson from Mary McLeod Bethune and I think our federal education policy (FEP) is stunting students growth. Do you have someone you care about: a friend, a family member that you want the best for, like I want the best for my autistic brother? I found previous education policies such as […]

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