Advocacy mentorships empower students to create change in the world around them, learning how to become effective advocates for the issues they are passionate about. Students learn to use research to identify and propose policy reforms in everything from education to the environment to social justice, creating advocacy proposals or writing op-eds about why their suggested changes are necessary and how they can best be implemented.

Sample projects

Project proposal for a social justice dance project raising awareness and support for dyslexic dancers

Dance Dance

Analysis of how different countries are addressing or failing to address climate change and the important role top greenhouse gas emitters can play on the world stage

Global Affairs Global Affairs

Sustainability Sustainability

Creation of a slidedeck for public presentation educating young audiences on individual and public responses to food waste

Food Systems Food Systems

Sustainability Sustainability

Course module on mass incarceration in the US from Reconstruction through the present, with a focus on how prison is depicted in our culture and the media

Sociology Sociology

History History

Law & Justice Law & Justice

Analysis of union vs. non-union construction outcomes in the private sector with recommendations for the public sector

Urban Studies Urban Studies

Policy brief with innovative recommendations for increased access to affordable housing for the workforce in NYC

Urban Studies Urban Studies

A paper and presentation proposing a new framework for civic engagement at the high-school level

Sociology Sociology

Researched and composed six scripts for a podcast series about student rights and inequalities

Education Education

Sociology Sociology

Research paper documenting how youth voting is increased by automatic pre-voting registration

Psychology Psychology

Political Science Political Science

Policy Brief proposing equity-based solutions to Black maternal mortality in the United States

Medicine Medicine

Public & Global Health Public & Global Health

Review article on the effects of airborne microplastics on human health, which was published in the Young Scientists Journal

Environmental Studies Environmental Studies

Policy memo for congressional representative that supports implementing Stepping Up, an initiative to reduce the number of mentally ill people in jails, within Richmond County

Psychology Psychology

Public Policy Public Policy

A policy recommendation targeting Egyptian universities to increase gender parity, based on research of Egyptian women’s experience of sexual violence, workplace harassment and discrimination and the nation’s growing #MeToo movement

Global Affairs Global Affairs

Gender Studies Gender Studies

Public Policy Public Policy

Comparative analysis of five different social justice-oriented theatre groups, assessing their diversity and effectiveness

Theatre Theatre

Sociology Sociology

Academic paper comparing the 2014 Ebola Epidemic in West Africa to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020

Medicine Medicine

Public & Global Health Public & Global Health

Original advocacy proposal that reimagines campus food banks to address rising food insecurity in university settings

Food Systems Food Systems

Public Policy Public Policy

Public & Global Health Public & Global Health

Original magazine about sustainable fashion, featuring articles on the industry's ethical and ecological issues and a unique research-based sustainability rating scale for fashion retailers

Journalism Journalism

Fashion Fashion

Sustainability Sustainability

Business model and pitch deck for a youth athletic academy that would bring tennis to underserved communities

Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship

Sports Sports

Business Business

Research paper analyzing three startups' impact and effectiveness in addressing women's’ issues of affordable feminine hygiene products and eliminating the “pink” tax

Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship

Public & Global Health Public & Global Health

Business Business

Original website sharing historical, political and economical information on the global refugee crisis with resources encouraging advocacy

Global Affairs Global Affairs

History History

Public Policy Public Policy

Political Science Political Science

EACH HUGO MENTORSHIP COMBINES AN INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECT WITH EXPERT-GUIDED STUDY

Sample projects

Project proposal for a social justice dance project raising awareness and support for dyslexic dancers

Analysis of how different countries are addressing or failing to address climate change and the important role top greenhouse gas emitters can play on the world stage

Creation of a slidedeck for public presentation educating young audiences on individual and public responses to food waste

Course module on mass incarceration in the US from Reconstruction through the present, with a focus on how prison is depicted in our culture and the media

Analysis of union vs. non-union construction outcomes in the private sector with recommendations for the public sector

Policy brief with innovative recommendations for increased access to affordable housing for the workforce in NYC

A paper and presentation proposing a new framework for civic engagement at the high-school level

Researched and composed six scripts for a podcast series about student rights and inequalities

Research paper documenting how youth voting is increased by automatic pre-voting registration

Policy Brief proposing equity-based solutions to Black maternal mortality in the United States

Review article on the effects of airborne microplastics on human health, which was published in the Young Scientists Journal

Policy memo for congressional representative that supports implementing Stepping Up, an initiative to reduce the number of mentally ill people in jails, within Richmond County

A policy recommendation targeting Egyptian universities to increase gender parity, based on research of Egyptian women’s experience of sexual violence, workplace harassment and discrimination and the nation’s growing #MeToo movement

Comparative analysis of five different social justice-oriented theatre groups, assessing their diversity and effectiveness

Academic paper comparing the 2014 Ebola Epidemic in West Africa to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020

Original advocacy proposal that reimagines campus food banks to address rising food insecurity in university settings

Original magazine about sustainable fashion, featuring articles on the industry's ethical and ecological issues and a unique research-based sustainability rating scale for fashion retailers

Business model and pitch deck for a youth athletic academy that would bring tennis to underserved communities

Research paper analyzing three startups' impact and effectiveness in addressing women's’ issues of affordable feminine hygiene products and eliminating the “pink” tax

Original website sharing historical, political and economical information on the global refugee crisis with resources encouraging advocacy

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