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Browse project ideas by Polygence mentors
Who Gets Watched? Policing and Surveillance in Public Spaces
Objective: Investigate how surveillance and policing are distributed across a community, and what that distribution suggests about who is treated as a "threat." Task: Pick a defined area to study (a neighborhood, a school, a shopping district, or even a city compared to a suburb). Document visible forms of surveillance and control: security cameras, police presence, private security, signage ("no loitering," curfews), metal detectors, etc. A simple walk-through with notes or photos works well. Research who lives in or uses that space (income levels, racial demographics, age) using public data sources like the U.S. Census or local city data portals. Compare your observations across two or more areas with different demographics, or compare your findings to existing research on surveillance, "broken windows" policing, or racial disparities in policing. Reflect on what you found: Does surveillance intensity track with crime rates, or with something else (income, race, property values)? Deliverable: A written report, annotated photo essay, or short presentation summarizing your observations, your data comparison, and what it suggests about how safety and suspicion get distributed unevenly.
Social Science
How Do TV Crime Shows Shape Public Perceptions of the Criminal Justice System?
Objective: Investigate how popular crime dramas and true-crime media portray the criminal justice system, and compare those portrayals to how the system actually operates. Task: Select a sample of 5–10 episodes or films from one or more crime shows/documentaries. As you watch, take notes on recurring patterns: How often are cases "solved"? How is forensic evidence used? How are defendants, police, and lawyers portrayed? Whose perspective does the story center? Choose 2–3 of these themes and research what the real data shows. For example: How often are real cases actually solved with forensic evidence? What are actual clearance rates for the crimes depicted? How common are wrongful convictions? Compare your findings from the show(s) to the real-world data. Where do they line up? Where do they diverge, and why might that be? Present your findings as a research paper, video essay, or policy-style brief aimed at raising media literacy around crime coverage. Deliverable: A written or multimedia piece (your choice of format) that lays out your comparison and what it suggests about how media shapes public understanding of crime and justice.
Social Science
Financing Public Policy
Working as a financial adviser for the fifth largest economy in the world (i.e., California), I am actively involved in decision-making for a portion of the state's budget. Is there a policy you are interested in and want to try to make happen? We can investigate your policy of choice together and investigate ways to fund it with the plan to pitch it to your representative. We also can investigate the impact of previous legislation to discover ways to improve it. Your project can be a local community survey, mapping project, or an analytical paper or presentation.
Engineering, Chemistry
Increasing Sustainability Across Industries
As the world continues to reduce its carbon emmissions, there are ways industries can become more sustainable to protect the environment without reducing profits. What industry are you most interested in? Let's discover solutions to make that industry more sustainable together.
Engineering, Chemistry
Challenges within IBD Management
This project could explore current treatment guidelines within IBD patient populaitons as well as challenges in management including psychosocial systems including insurance denials and prior authorizations.
Medicine, Healthcare
What effect did the world cup have on US metro economies?
Pull in FRED data on tourism, hospitality, and jobs, and then consider which cities were treated and not treated to determine this effect
Economics, Math, Engineering
Build a Startup That Makes Tech More Human: From Idea to Investor Pitch
Every big company you know started as someone's wild idea - and the next generation of tech won't just be about what's possible, but what's good for people. In this project, you'll go through the same journey real founders take: spotting a problem, designing a solution, and pitching it like your future depends on it. You'll pick a challenge you actually care about - maybe screen time and mental health, loneliness, online safety, or how AI affects friendships - and develop a startup concept that tackles it. You'll learn how founders validate ideas (interviewing real potential users instead of guessing), how to design a simple prototype or mock-up, how to size a market, and how to build a pitch deck that tells a compelling story. Your final outcome could be a full investor-style pitch deck, a product prototype or landing page, or a written business plan - the same materials real founders use to raise money. I've pitched on stages from Davos to Tokyo and taken a company through Techstars, and I'll teach you the skills investors actually look for: clear thinking, honest evidence, and a story people remember. Whether or not you ever start a company, you'll finish knowing how to turn an idea into something real - a skill that stands out in any college application.
Social Science
Would You Trust a Robot With Your Feelings? Investigating the Rise of AI Companions
Your classmates are already doing it: talking to AI chatbots about their crushes, their stress, their secrets. Meanwhile, in Japan, people are buying robots designed to be loved. Is this the future of friendship - or something we should be worried about? In this project, you'll become one of the first researchers of your generation to investigate a question almost no adult has answers to yet. You might explore: Why do people fall for AI companions? How do apps like Replika or robots like LOVOT design for emotional attachment - and is that manipulation or comfort? Should there be an age rating on artificial friendship? You'll learn how real researchers work: reviewing what science already knows, running your own interviews or surveys, and analyzing the apps and robots teens actually use. You could end up with a published research paper, a policy proposal you could send to actual lawmakers, or a viral-worthy design critique of the AI companion industry. This field is so new that a smart high schooler can make a genuine contribution - and have something remarkable to talk about in college essays and interviews.
Social Science
Creative Portfolio Development
For students who are applying to competitive art and design programs, I work with students to assess, develop, and package portfolio for admittance. We will look at concept, technique, medium, and presentation and write a work statement to accompany the portfolio.
Fashion
Project Title: Developing a Growth Strategy Framework for Women’s Space: Expanding Impact Through Media, Education, and Advisory Services
This project focuses on developing a strategic growth framework for Women’s Space, a media and advisory platform designed to close the self-advocacy gap for professional women. The goal is to evaluate market opportunities, audience needs, competitive positioning, and potential revenue models to identify the most effective path for scaling the platform’s impact. The project would explore how Women’s Space can strengthen its positioning as a trusted resource for professional women while expanding its offerings across media, community, partnerships, and advisory services. Key Research Questions: * What market opportunities exist within the professional development, leadership, and workplace advancement space? * How are comparable organizations positioning themselves, and what differentiation opportunities exist for Women’s Space? * Which customer segments (individual professionals, employers, universities, or organizations) represent the strongest growth opportunities? * What business models and partnerships could support sustainable growth? Potential Methodology: The student would conduct market research, competitive analysis, customer/audience research, and strategic analysis to identify growth opportunities. This could include reviewing comparable platforms, analyzing industry trends, conducting interviews with potential stakeholders, and developing recommendations. Expected Deliverable: A strategy report outlining: * Market landscape and competitive analysis * Target audience segmentation * Growth opportunities and strategic priorities * Partnership opportunities * Recommendations for positioning, offerings, and long-term scalability Skills Developed: This project would provide experience in strategy consulting, market research, competitive analysis, business model development, and translating research into actionable recommendations.
Math, Psychology, Business, Healthcare
