By: Jimin Yoo, Vista Ridge High School

Cancer treatment access is shaped by deep socioeconomic and informational gaps. While modern treatments have improved, mortality rates remain uneven because many communities, especially medically underserved areas (MUAs), face delayed diagnosis and limited resources. Early detection and shorter time to treatment are crucial, yet the information available online is often written at advanced reading levels, filled with medical and policy jargon that many patients cannot easily understand. Therefore, one proposal to address this barrier by high school students is the Public Oncological Appendix. Public Oncological Appendix is a web-based database that offers up-to-date cancer related information: treatment, clinic, and federal-state insurance policy. Under supervision of medical authority and high school faculty, students convert medical and policy language into plain language, aiming to simplify advanced high school to college level writing into public-friendly language. The objective is to make already available online information into easily readable yet precise forms. The intended goal is to better inform the audience who lack health literacy. Given the multilateral nature of U.S. healthcare policy, the solution aims to begin by establishing a local database which then can be scaled into state or national level through inter-school and inter-agency collaboration.

By: Pranav Ayyappan & Gabriel Cacho, 2025 HSHRC Finalists

Water pollution poses a substantial threat to human health and the environment. Water-stressed areas are regions that experience a significant shortage of fresh water to meet the demands of their populations and ecosystems. Tackling both water pollution and water shortages is crucial for creating a sustainable future for the environment and the people affected by these challenges. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 1.1 billion individuals lack access to improved drinking water, contributing to 88% of the 4 billion annual cases of diarrheal diseases attributed to unsafe water and inadequate sanitation, resulting in approximately 1.8 million deaths each year (Al-Manhel et al.). According to Anna Lee, a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in materials chemistry, the World Health Organization reports that 3,900 children die daily from diseases linked to unsafe water or poor hygiene. The U.N. World Water Development Report warns that by 2050, at least a quarter of the global population will face chronic freshwater shortages, exacerbating this critical issue (Lee et al.). Chlorination and desalination creates harmful byproduct while desalination is costly and takes up a lot of energy…

View more to read their winning proposal.

By: Emaan Sheikh, 2025 HSHRC Finalist

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria represents one of the most pressing medical challenges of our time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year, resulting in over 35,000 deaths (CDC 2024). Of particular concern is the emergence of "superbugs" - bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics - which severely limit treatment options for common infections. The World Health Organization projects that by 2050, antimicrobial resistance could claim 10 million lives annually worldwide if no significant action is taken (WHO 2024)…

View more to read her winning proposal.

By: Nisha Evangelista, 2025 HSHRC Finalist

Prediabetes affects approximately 96 million adults in the United States, yet over 80% of cases remain undiagnosed. (CDC, 2022). When left untreated, prediabetes can progress to type 2 diabetes, posing more significant health risks and more severe health complications. (American Diabetes Association, 2023). Early identification and intervention are critical, and lifestyle modifications at this stage can reduce case worsening by up to 58% (Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group, 2002). Sometimes, this critical phase could even mark the difference between life and death…

View more to read her winning proposal.