Over the past several weeks, we highlighted students from Hauppauge High School’s IB program who completed their Internal Assessments (IA). These projects gave students the opportunity to explore their passions and design their own learning experiences—showcasing creativity, critical thinking, and real-world connections.
Our final spotlight showcases Yashvi Shah and her IB Environmental Systems and Societies project, Investigation Comparing Air Quality and Trail Condition Between Two Parks on Long Island: Public vs Private
Yashvi studied how park ownership influences environmental conditions, like air quality measured with a PocketLab Air Sensor and trail condition using a standardized rubric. She compared a privately owned park, The Rinx, and a publicly owned park, Nesconset Park on Long Island.
Why Yashvi Chose this Topic:
I chose this topic because parks are vital to our community and I enjoy going to parks in the summer. I wanted to find out and observe if privately and publicly owned parks differed significantly by measuring air quality and trail conditions. I believed that human impact would be worse at publicly owned parks as more people visit than privately owned parks.
What Yashvi found interesting about the research:
It was fun and interesting collecting the data through the PocketLab Air sensor as I had not used the device before. I liked comparing the results from both the parks. I was surprised by the consistent differences. There were observable differences between both parks.
What did Yashvi learned from the IA experience:
I believe it was very helpful even though it took a lot of time and effort! It helped improve my scientific writing skills and work efficiently. It made me realize that humans need to reduce their impact at parks and be more careful in the future. I enjoyed researching since I found this topic fun!