Hannah Nieuwveld

What evidence-based strategies can my school implement to better accommodate the academic and emotional needs of their neurodivergent students?

Started Apr. 13, 2023

Abstract or project description

Despite my school’s significant neurodivergent population, there is a lack of diverse accommodations for and education about neurodiversity. Research shows that lack of individualization and awareness has negative academic and behavioral effects on neurodivergent students, including lower performance in classes and standardized tests and negative mental health outcomes. The aim of this project will be to work with the school administration to expand the range of accommodations offered to neurodivergent students, ensure accommodations more reliably in the classroom, and increase awareness of neurodiversity within the school. A fact sheet and presentation will be created and used with the administration in order to collaborate with them to determine what specific changes can be implemented.

A Girl In Haarlem

Started Dec. 8, 2021

Abstract or project description

'A Girl In Haarlem' is a five-act play following the life of Cornelia Korving, a young woman living in Haarlem in the year 1572. Five years into the 80-Years'-War, otherwise known as the Dutch War of Indendepence, tensions between the traditional Catholic supporters of the Spanish throne, and the idealistic patriots battling for a new, self-sustaining Dutch republic are higher than ever. Coming from a strict and close-minded background, Cornelia has spent her life never doubting what she was brought up to believe, and when war hits Haarlem, she is convinced to remain unswayed. Nevertheless, she finds herself drawn to Pieter de Maas, a patriotic rebel with dreams of freeing his country and traveling the world--in other words, a boy who represents everything Cornelia has spent her life avoiding. Together, they face both political and social dilemmas, battling their pre-existing assumptions, beliefs, and dreams as their relationship develops. Only after both have sacrificed everything they once took for granted, hoping to create a better life together, do the two young lovers come to realize that not everything is possible. Although set in the distant past, the play's themes are ever-relevant. A tale of love, war, and society, the play explores the idolization of war, the duality of religion and politics, and the eternal human desire to protect their way of life. Additionally, the play focuses on the traditional roles of both men and women during times of war, as we watch both Cornelia and Pieter struggle within the confines of their nature and upbringing.