• Choose something that interests you a lot. This can be a hobby or something you learned in class. It could also be about your culture, your heritage, a future career choice or an issue you care about in your community. Remember to pick a project topic that will hold your interest for months.
  
  
• Think of at least two or three different ideas.
  
  
• Give yourself time to let your idea grow. Brainstorm. Ask yourself questions about your idea. What do I already know about this topic? What do I want to find out about this topic? Are there teachers/community members/business professionals who can help me learn more about it?
  
  
• Keep in mind that all project ideas will be different, requiring different sources of information.

Sample Project Ideas:

Project Idea: Research the college application process and create a guidebook for fellow students.
Subject Areas: Communications, Career Education and Work
Community Component: Visit local colleges and conduct interviews with college counselors to learn more about the college application process and financial aid.

Project Idea: Research a problem or need in your community. Examples: Lack of recreation centers, changes in public housing, gang violence.
Subject Areas: Citizenship, Communications
Community Component: Follow current events and interview community members.

Project Idea: Research new developments in science and modern medicine; study a disease and its impact on society. Examples: AIDS, breast cancer, Alzheimer's. What populations of people are affected by this disease? What is the treatment for this disease?
Subject Areas: Science and Technology, Health
Community Component: Interview a member of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force or someone from the medical community.

Project Idea: Research conservation/recycling. Are the environments you live in—home, school, community—environmentally-friendly?
Subject Areas: Science, Environment
Community Component: What can be recycled in Pittsburgh and what can't be—and why?

Project Idea: Research a state other than Pennsylvania and compare a "hot topic" or social issue of concern. How is Pennsylvania different from other states? Examples: welfare policy, public education, civil rights.
Subject Areas: Citizenship, Communications
Community Component: Visit the social agency connected to your research topic.

Project Idea: Research baseball card collecting—find out how statistics are calculated and how individual cards gain monetary value.
Subject Areas: Physical Education, Mathematics
Community Component: Study the members of the Pittsburgh Pirates, examine their statistics and relate them to the value of the cards.

Project Idea: Examine the history and economics of your favorite sport, find out why athletes get paid high salaries, report on the size of the industry, and compare overall national rates for players to Pittsburgh athletes.
Subject Areas: Physical Education, Mathematics
Community Component: Conduct research to determine the highest paid athletes in Pittsburgh. How does the presence of sports teams affect the economic life of the city?

Project Idea: Research the history of the city's water supply. Test your water for lead and compare your findings to the state average.
Subject Areas: Science, Environment, Mathematics
Community Component: Conduct the same test in several city neighborhoods and interpret the results.

Project Idea: Study the benefits of living in environments with plants and identify their biological relationship with human beings.
Subject Areas: Science, Environment and Ecology, Mathematics
Community Component: Request information on the benefits of plants from a local conservatory or conservation group. Record the number of trees in your neighborhood and compare it to the same data from other communities.

Project Idea: Research a type of music you are interested in—its origins and links to your heritage. Example: Study the history of jazz or blues and research Pittsburgh's influence on its development.
Subject Areas: Arts and Humanities, Citizenship
Community Component: Go to a concert or cultural venue featuring this form of music and write a review. Interview local musicians or radio personalities who can tell you about the history of the music form you are studying.

Project Idea: Write a play or story that addresses an issue faced by the people of your community.
Subject Areas: Arts and Humanities, Communications, Citizenship
Community Component: Perform your play at a local community center or church.

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