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Browse project ideas by Polygence mentors
Research Paper/Podcast: How Trauma Manifests Itself in the Courtroom
This project would explore the relationship between trauma, criminal behavior, and the legal system. You could research how trauma influences behavior, how it is presented in the courtroom, and how the justice system responds to individuals with traumatic experiences. You could also examine the sociological effects of criminal behavior, including courtroom procedures, sentencing, incarceration, and recidivism. You could present their research through a research paper, podcast, or both. For example, they could investigate whether childhood trauma contributes to criminal behavior and recidivism, analyze how trauma is considered during sentencing, or examine a real court case involving trauma.
Social
5. Bio-Inspired Atmospheric Vacuum Pump for Low-Energy Groundwater Extraction
This project lets students explore a biomimicry-inspired approach to a real-world water scarcity problem. Students will investigate how tall trees and plants draw water upward through negative pressure (transpiration pull) and translate that principle into a low-cost, low-tech vacuum pump design for pulling groundwater to the surface, learning fundamentals of atmospheric pressure, fluid dynamics, and pump mechanics along the way. The research process involves studying the biological mechanism behind plant water transport, reviewing existing manual/vacuum-based pump designs, building a prototype from accessible materials based on open-source tutorials, and testing its ability to draw water from varying depths and flow rates. The expected outcome is a working prototype paired with a written report or publication documenting the design rationale, build process, and performance data — with an option to also produce a short explainer video connecting the biomimicry concept to the engineering solution for a broader audience!
AI/ML
4. DIY Solar Parabolic Cooker Build and Evaluation
In this project, students are introduced to concentrated solar power and solar energy applications through a DIY, hands-on, low-cost device. Students will design and construct a parabolic solar cooker from low-cost, accessible materials, learning the basics of solar geometry (angle of incidence, focal point calculations), reflective material selection, and heat transfer principles. The research process involves reviewing existing parabolic cooker designs/approaches, building and refining a prototype based on existing tutorials, and running structured tests to evaluate performance (e.g., time to boil water, max temperature reached, cooking time for different foods) across different conditions like time of day or cloud cover. Depending on the student's interest, the final output can be a demonstration video showing the build process and cooking tests in action, or a written report/publication documenting the design iterations, testing methodology, and performance results.
AI/ML
3. AI-Based Air Quality Monitoring for School Sports Locker Rooms
This project lets students explore how machine learning and microcontrollers like Raspberry Pi can be used for practical, everyday environmental health problems. Students will learn how to collect air quality data (e.g., humidity, VOCs, particulate matter) using low-cost sensors, build a dataset, and apply basic AI/machine learning techniques to detect patterns or predict poor air quality conditions (e.g., linked to mold risk, staph, or lingering bacterial odors). The research process includes selecting appropriate sensors, setting up a data collection pipeline, exploring relevant ML models (e.g., simple classification or anomaly detection), and evaluating model performance against real-world readings. The expected outcome is a working prototype system (sensor + basic AI model/dashboard) paired with a short technical write-up or presentation explaining the approach and findings.
AI/ML
2. Designing a Low-Tech Solar-Powered Egg Hatchery
This project introduces students to renewable energy applications for agriculture in resource-constrained settings. Students will learn how to design and build a low-cost incubator that uses solar energy (direct or thermal storage) to maintain stable temperature and humidity for hatching eggs, gaining hands-on experience with basic thermodynamics, heat transfer, solar energy capture, and simple passive control/monitoring systems. The research process includes studying incubation temperature/humidity requirements, replicating existing low-tech hatchery designs, building a prototype, and running test cycles to evaluate hatch rates and thermal stability. The expected outcome is a written publication (e.g., a research report or article) documenting the design process, testing methodology, and results, which could be shared with agricultural development or appropriate-tech research communities.
AI/ML
1. Turning Plastic Waste into 3D Printer Filament
This project sits at the intersection of materials science and waste management/recycling. Students will explore how waste plastics (like PET bottles - empty soda bottles / water bottles etc.) can be cleaned, cut, and extruded into usable 3D printing filament, learning the basics of polymer properties, extrusion mechanics, and quality control (consistent diameter, no bubbles/brittleness). The research process involves reviewing and replication existing DIY filament extruder techniques, evaluating the system's performance, and iterating based on print quality results. Depending on the student's interest, the final output can be a short, engaging STEM tutorial video (e.g., TikTok or YouTube Shorts style) documenting the build and testing process, or a more formal write-up suitable for a science fair or publication, depending on the rigor of testing the student wants to pursue.
AI/ML
Research Paper: How Likes on Instagram Affects the Self-Esteem of Teenagers
For my AP Research class in high school, I developed an academic research paper and presentation examining the relationship between social media use and self-esteem. Because this project was so meaningful and instructive for me, I'd love to lead a current high schooler through a similar process to explore the sociological and psychological effects of social media on their own age group. Through conducting research and analyzing existing findings, students will gain a deeper understanding of how the internet can influence individuals and shape broader social behaviors. Or the project could examine how social media and internet use affect the mental health of another age group, allowing you as a student to explore a relevant issue while developing your research, analytical, and presentation skills!
Social
Making Sense of Real Consumer Data
If you're the type of student who likes working with numbers as much as ideas, this project is for you. You'll identify a publicly available secondary dataset, something like retail purchase data, app usage data, or survey data, and use it to test a real research question about consumer behavior. Past work in this space has looked at how familiarity with a platform shapes buying behavior, and how perceived risk factors into people's purchase decisions. I'll guide you through the statistics and research design side of things, so you'll come away with hands on experience in data analysis alongside a stronger grip on marketing research methods. This project is ideal for students who want to build quantitative research skills.
Statistics, Social, Business
Emotions in Greco-Roman Philosophy
Lots of ancient philosophical groups—especially the Stoics—have a reputation for being down on emotions. But even the Stoics saw happiness as an ultimate goal of philosophy. For this project, we'd examine the positive role of emotions in one of Greco-Roman philosophical schools (Epicureanism, Stoicism, Platonism), and make a Youtube video challenging modern (mis)perceptions of ancient philosophy.
Philosophy, Literature
Why do people happily recommend a fitness product to a friend, but hesitate to recommend their meditation app?
Someone will rave about a new running shoe or protein powder without a second thought, but bringing up a meditation app can feel oddly personal — like you're admitting something vulnerable rather than sharing a tip. This project digs into that asymmetry: is it about privacy, stigma around mental health, a sense that fitness is "achievement" while meditation is "admission," or something else entirely? You'll start with a literature review on health behavior disclosure and stigma, then gather some preliminary data — maybe informal interviews or surveys asking people what they would and wouldn't readily recommend and why. From there, you'll choose a research method (qualitative interviews, a comparative survey, or a small experiment manipulating framing) and run a basic analysis to see what's really driving the difference.
Social, Psychology
