Alpha Scholars is a rigorous social science research program that teaches college-level research, writing and presentation skills to high school students in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Students work one-on-one with Harvard student mentors in advanced study and research of a topic related to their chosen SDG, culminating in a 15-page research paper and 15-minute presentation.
Congratulations to all Summer 2025 medal winners on the quality of your research papers!
Gold Medal
Aguirre, Maura. Saco Oliveros. Cognitive and socio-emotional effects of psychological disorders, chronic malnutrition, and unfavorable family environments in low-income children
Fallaque, Andrea. Colegio Mixto Santa Teresita. Laws on Paper, Lives in Limbo: An Analysis of Peru's Disability Laws and their Implementation
Lu, Yan Kit (Jacky). Basis international school Guangzhou. Impacts of investments into transportation and energy infrastructure: Cases in China
Montalvo Huerta, Yanhira. Innova Schools El Parque. Technology in Education: The effects of technological solutions in reducing disparities in educational quality in Peru
Miranda Buesa, Manuela. Colegio Etapa. Financial Futures at a Click: How Financial Digitalization Shaped Inclusion and Poverty in Brazil
Orozco Davila, Nicolas Favio. Innova Schools Ate Santa Clara. Locked In: Governance Barriers to Effective Technology Procurement in Brazil and the Pursuit of Digital Sovereignty
Pretell Pastor, Camila Aracely. San Antonio de Padua. Gender norms and financial exclusion: Understanding credit access barriers for women agricultural producers in the Peruvian Jungle from a social and institutional perspective
Reinaldo, Bianca. IFSul Campus Camaquã. Performances of Resistance: Theater Initiatives That Empower Youth Resistance to Violence and Facilitate Resignification of Stigmas in Brazilian Favelas
Rocha, Alice. IEMA Pleno Colinas. Representation and Early Exposure: Digital Female Role Models and Early STEM Education in Influencing the Pursuit of STEM Careers
Romero, Mileva. La Salle Lima. Barriers to Justice: Evaluating the Implementation of Law 30364 in Urban Peru
Soerjanto, Chloe. Springfield School. Autonomy without Equity: How Decentralisation Affects Educational Inequality in West Java, Indonesia
Valencia, Luisell. From Legislation to Reality: Evaluating The Impact of Comprehensive Sexual Education Policies on Teenage Pregnancy Rates in Peru's Marginalized Communities
Van Herck, Anneleen. Commonwealth School. The Shattered Chinese Dream: The Impact of the Displacement of Farmers on Income Inequality, Environmental Effects, Social Tensions and Identity
Vikramaditya, Vedant. Interlake Senior High. Lost in the Margins: Understanding Mental Health Disparities and Access Barriers for Roma in Europe
Ventocilla, Jhair. Innova Schools. Informality by Design: Structural Dysfunction and Rational Survival in Peru’s Small Business Sector
Wang, Zirui (Edric). BASIS International School Shenzhen. Justice Shadowed: A Constructivist Analysis on How International Law Reproduces Neocolonialist Structures in the Israel-Hamas Conflict
Yovera, Daira. Santo Domingo de Chorrillos. English Education in Peru: How Unequal Access Limits Young People's Academic and Career Opportunities
Silver Medal
de Lima, Beatriz. Colégio Presidente Kennedy. The economic autonomy of domestic and care workers: how unpaid labor affects women’s lives in Brazil
Desai, Shruti. Fulton Science Academy. Malnutrition and Enteric Infection: Breaking the Cycle With Complementary Feeding
do Prado Cardoso, Maria Emilia. Colégio Militar de Fortaleza. Dreams Interrupted: The Impact of Living in Urban Peripheries on the Sleep and Consequent Academic Performance of Students in Brazil
Escobar Garay, Nataly Luciana. Innova Schools - Comas Condorcanqui. Broken Trust: The Impact of Political Misconduct and Corruption on Peru’s COVID-19 Healthcare Response
Fernando, Rhea. Livingston High School. Gut Health in New York: How Income and Health Understanding Connect to this Issue
Freitas do Nascimento, Maria Eduarda . Colégio Falcon. Education in the Crossfire: How State Neglect and Urban Violence in Rio’s Marginalized Communities Affect Public Schools
Jin, Qi Audrey. Shen Wai International School. To what extent did France’s 2020 menthol cigarette ban influence smoking behavior and cigarette sales among adult smokers?
Juscamaita, Valentina . Federico Froebel. Healing the Wounds of Peru’s Internal Armed Conflict: The Role of the Genetic Data Bank and the Law on the Search for Missing Persons in the Reparation Process for Victims’ Relatives
Li, Yixuan (Carolyn). Shenzhen College of International Education. From Erosion to Reconstruction: How Deepfake Medical Videos Reshape Public Trust Across Cultures
Marques Monteiro Éssi Souza, Maria Fernanda. Colégio Estadual de Tempo Integral Professora Odontina Laranjeira de Souza. Coup Attempt in Brazil: The Role of Religious Fundamentalism and the Strengthening of Neofascism in the Crisis of Contemporary Democracy
Mendoza, Kanae Chung. San Vicente De Paúl. Institutional Barriers to Women in Peruvian Politics through the Cases of Boluarte and Fujimori
Moquillaza Ticona, Alejandro. Innova Schools. Closing the STEM Gap: Infrastructure, Opportunity, and Educational Access in Low-Income Peru
Nair, Nikhita. TMI Episcopal. Beyond Belief: Addressing Structural Inequities and Cultural Barriers in India’s Cancer Crisis
Nobrega Guimaraes, Raissa. Colegio e Curso Pensi de Ensino. Invisible Bridges: The Role of AI as a Tool for Social Mobility in Overcoming Linguistic and Social Barriers in the Brazilian Third Sector
Pagan, Liam. Creative Global Schools. From Sweatshops to Sachets: How Political Structures and Economic Incentives Shaped the Rise of Non-Biodegradable Plastic Packaging
Ramos, Julieta. Colegio Salcantay. The Illusion of Choice: A Comparative Analysis of the Influence of Party Systems on Presidential Elections in Peru and the United States
Shah, Haleema. International Schools Group Jubail. Scrolling into Stress: How Unhealthy Social Media Use Affects Pakistani University Students Across Class Divides
Thompson, Javan. Creative Global Schools. Health & The Economy | How the Separation of Healthcare Sectors Impacts the Poor In El Salvador
Yong, Ranen. HWA Chong Institution. Education for Sustainability: Examining the Effects of Education Standards on Attitudes and Actions Towards Sustainability in ASEAN
Zheng, Kairan (Kevin). Basis International School Park Lane Harbour. Colonial Continuities and Contemporary Crisis: Structural Drivers of Environmental Degradation in South Asia’s Fast Fashion Industry
Bronze Medal
Asrani, Arushi. Millburn HS. Invisible Wounds: Cultural, Social, and Institutional Barriers to Women’s Mental Health in India
Cerron Mantilla, Fabiola Anahi. I.E.E. 6050 Juana Alarco De Dammert. Children’s Bonds with Animals: A Study on Their Impact in Fostering Empathy
Gonçalves Lucindo, Pedro Henrique. Escola Estadual Professor Antônio Fernandes Pinto. Building Minds and Futures: The Impact of Robotics Competitions on High School Students’ Academic, Behavioral, and Professional Development
Patel, Rayan. Dougherty Valley Highschool. Built To Break: Sustainability And Short-Lived Technology in the Age of Innovation
Silva, Igor Bastos. Colégio Adventista de Itabuna. Democracy Beyond Sound: Structural Barriers to Deaf Political Participation in Auditory-Centric Systems
Santos, Matthew. Dwight-Englewood High School. The Leviathan’s Cage: Hobbesian Fear and Power in Rio de Janeiro’s Carceral System
Touro, Nicolle. Magsul. Social Vulnerability and Drug Trafficking Recruitment: Why Are Young People from Low Income Communities Targeted by Narcotics Networks?”
Yu, Fun Lok (Victoria). Basis International School Shenzhen. Cognitive and socio-emotional effects of psychological disorders, chronic malnutrition, and unfavorable family environments in low-income children.
To learn more about the Alpha Scholars program and apply, please visit alphascholars.org, or follow us on Instagram @alpha_scholars_research.