School: SCIS-Hongqiao
    Shanghai, Shanghai, China

3 students, ages 15, 14, 14, 15 worked together to complete this Doors to Diplomacy project on March 7, 2012. They have participated in Doors to Diplomacy in the following year(s): 2009

Classes and Teachers: Amy Brill

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.scischina.org/

1. Description of Our Team

Emma is fourteen and was in charge of website design, finding information, writing, and publishing the site. Amy who is also fourteen help contribute to finding information about the topic. Katy who is now fifteen helped with finding information and our project's works cited. Tina is fifteen and came late in our group. Therefore, she didn't contribute to our website nor our information of our topic.

2. Summary of Our Project

Our website is trying to bring attention to the abuse of handicapped people around the world. Our site gives more detail and perspective on the specific conditions in three regions, China, Africa, and the United States.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dial-up modem

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

Our group mainly used the internet to gather information about our project and website. Everyone in our group had access to the internet from home, and at school.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

One problem that we had to overcome was a limit on how many people could edit and view the page at a time. We had started our website on an IWeb app from Apple. That meant we had to be all together to view, edit, and give opinions on the website. We did find time to meet up, however, and be productive in putting all of our research, notes, and different ideas into the website.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

This project, we hope, will bring more awareness to the conditions that some handicapped people are experiencing, all around the world.

6. How did your activities and research for this Doors to Diplomacy Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Our website addressed global mindedness, global and community appreciation, and the overall research format that is necessary to create a website. We also practiced effective communication, a content standard that practices how to convey ideas and information to a person that may not have heard of them before. One of the biggest achievements of our group was learning each others strengths, weaknesses, and how to effectively work together. We discovered that our school has tried to incorporate programs for handicapped children, so bringing awareness like this greatly benefitted the school.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your Doors to Diplomacy project?

We mainly used our computers to do this project. These allowed to quickly research information, websites, and pictures. However, we also used some TV stations to find clips and excerpts that contain information that pertains to our subject. The school had provided us with Macbooks at the beginning of the year, so that was our main tool in creating this website.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your Doors to Diplomacy project both on-line and in person.

We are trying to introduce our site to the world. We are starting pretty small by giving a presentation and a guide to our website at a school assembly. We are starting by telling everyone what Doors to Diplomacy is about, and then introduce our website as an example. I also showed my parents the website, which my dad then showed to his colleagues.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

Our hope is that because of our site, conditions in our community as well as around the world can be improved. Many people in our community never realized just how bad handicapped people were abused.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

Previous to the doors to diplomacy website contest, three of our members, Amy, Katy, and Emma, participated in a program to help disabled children ride horses. Through this, we could have a better perspective on the abuse of handicapped people which helped us with our Doors to Diplomacy site. Besides that, we didn't involve our members of the community.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

This project helped open the eyes of three of our team mates. Through this project and our previous experience through helping disabled children ride horses, we realized the deteriorating conditions in which many disabled people live in.