Quality Of Life Research Competition Winners

Several students from high schools around the city recently participated in a Quality of Life Research Competition sponsored by Solomon Smith Barney in partnership with the New York City Board of Education and the Mayor’s office. The winning students were awarded cash prizes for research-based proposals to improve the quality of life in their communities that were judged by panels. At the awards ceremony, Chancellor Harold O. Levy was presented with the 2001 Quality of Life Award for outspoken advocacy of and dedication to improving the quality of life through education.

Daniel Bushansky of Townsend Harris High School, Queens, won first prize with a proposal for placing dog-waste receptacles in flagship parks to improve park cleanliness. Other prize-winning proposals included Hunter College High School’s Alexey Sokolin and Nick Huang, who researched and proposed the integration of skilled immigrants into the United States labor force. Semifinalist Priya Athiappan of Francis Lewis High School, Queens, proposed involving extracurricular activities in bilingual education.

Some past proposals have been implemented, including the establishment of a high school-led leadership program in the 107th Precinct, consisting of monthly meetings to promote positive relationships between high school students and police officers. This program was recently funded by Youth for Youth Grant from Citizen’s Committee, and involves students from Townsend Harris, John Browne, Thomas Edison, Hillcrest, Jamaica and Robert F. Kennedy High Schools. #

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