This Spring,  Global Scholar Diploma students in their third year shared and celebrated their learning, impact and action at the Take Action Project Fair. The Columbus Council on World Affairs recognized nine Take Action Projects across the Central Ohio region as honorable mentions for creativity, originality and research work. 

Aspen, Forever Changing My School: One Drop at a Time, Mount Vernon High School

U.N. Sustainable Development Goal #6, Clean and Sustainable Water

Aspen spent the academic year researching and creating local change in water conservation and sustainable methods of water distribution. Working with her district’s superintendent and maintenance director, Aspen started and executed a district-wide effort to replace the current sink aerators to low-flow devices in restrooms, saving 1.7 gallons per minute of waterflow per replacement. 

Along with saving gallons of water daily, an impact that will last long past Aspen’s graduation, her efforts will save the school district an estimated $1,500 per year. 50% of these savings will be donated to the school’s robotics program, supporting other fellow students interested in STEM-based topics and careers.

“The project demonstrates how a small, practical improvement can create measurable environmental and financial benefits for the entire school community.” –Aspen, GSD Class of 2026

“Whether it’s a school budget, a city’s infrastructure, or a local policy, you’ll find that things are often more complicated and outdated than they seem,” Aspen says.“Don’t let the “red tape” or messy data discourage you; that’s actually where the biggest opportunities for improvement are.”

 

Chyler, Community Nighttime Lighting Reduction, Granville High School

U.N. Sustainable Development Goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Working with Granville’s Village Planner, Chyler presented her research to the Village Planning Commission, on the effect of lighting pollution on her community and proposed improvements to the current systems. 

Through her research, Chyler found ways to reduce light pollution in her local community, including ensuring all lights serve a clear purpose, implementing warm light choices, shielding lights, installing motion sensors and timed lights when possible, and spreading awareness and information to the community and surrounding areas. Through presenting her findings and suggestions to the Village Planning Commission, Chyler grew an understanding of the ordinances and process of the city’s ordinances and revision process. Her presentation and research spurred conversation on possible projects and changes to ordinances to help improve lighting.

“Global Scholars has made me more confident in myself and my ability to actually change things,” Chyler says. “I am now excited to take action on the issues that I care about and pursue things without someone else taking initiative first. I have met new people and learned more about potential careers through this program, and have developed soft skills that will help me with anything that I decide to do after high school.” 

 

Emerson, Mastery Catastrophe, Rutherford B. Hayes High School

U.N. Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education

Emerson noticed learning struggles and deficiencies in her classmates under the Mastery Learning system utilized by her school district, and spent the year surveying and interviewing students and faculty on ways to improve the learning environment and efficiency at her high school. Through further research on efficient and cohesive learning processes and principles, Emerson pitched suggestions to 21 faculty members on improving results within mastery learning policy and considerations to take for the following academic year.

Emerson spent the year conducting rigorous surveys and interviews with her school’s student body and teaching staff, then presented reported issues to her audience. At the end of her presentation, 85% of attendees stated they would take Emerson’s work and presentation into account when planning policy used in mastery learning classes in the future.

 

Eva, Peaceful Pets, Licking Heights High School

U.N. Sustainable Development Goal #3: Good Health and Well Being

Working with the Look Up Center, Simply Spoiled Pets and Newark Homeless Outreach, Eva established a permanent temperature-regulated pet supply shelf at Look Up Center. Stocked with continuous donations from Simply Spoiled Pets and other local pet shops, her shelf includes different dog sized food, collars, leashes, toys, and other vital pet care supplies. Her to to supply resources for pet-owners and pets in her community allowed for sustainable and affordable pet care for others.

For Eva, her work extended past supplying pet supplies as she highlights the importance of pets to help with loneliness and companionship for owners. Previously volunteering at her local food pantry and noticing the importance of being able to support those whose only family was often their pet, she wanted to increase resource availability for petcare in her community. She plans to grow her shelf’s supplies and outreach after entering college in the fall, as well.

 

Julia, Expanding Black History in Schools, Licking Heights High School

U.N. Sustainable Development Goal #4, #10: Quality Education, Reduced Inequalities

Julia organized and executed school-wide, student-led initiatives to increase awareness and knowledge of African American history for her Take Action project. 

She collaborated with Licking Heights’ Cultural Identity Club to create and execute  a “Soulaan” Spirit Week, where students can participate in themed dress-up challenges and activities, month-long interactive activities during February to celebrate Black History Month, and student-led presentations on African American topics during advisory periods. 

Her survey sent to the student body after Soulaan week concluded received 118 responses, with a strong majority (79.7%) of respondents believing Soulaan week should become an annual school-wide event. 

 

Kacee, Building Best Buddies, Westerville North High School 

U.N. Sustainable Development Goal #10: Reduced Inequalities

Kacee spent her senior year communicating with Best Buddies International and Best Buddies Central Ohio to open a Best Buddies chapter at her high school. Best Buddies works to promote connections between students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (DID), to help negate social inequalities for people living with a disability. 

Stepping into the role of president for her school’s newly-established chapter, Kacee organized events like card parties, board game events and cookie decorating to help foster connections at her Westerville North. Best Buddies is now a recognized organization at Westerville North, attracting new members and lasting long past Kacee’s time at the school.

 

Lauren, Growing Minds through Agriculture, Johnstown-Monroe

U.N. Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education

Lauren hosted and organized an Agriculture Day, or Ag Day, for fourth and fifth graders at Johnstown Intermediate School, allowing students to rotate between six educational stations on agricultural topics. At the end of the day, students wrote thank you notes mailed to local farmers in Licking County. 

Lauren’s goal was to encourage learning on both agriculture and agricultural career options, after her school’s elimination of their FFA program. Lauren’s six stations all highlighted a different local agricultural organization or company, including Lena Cattle Company (discussing cattle), Heimerl Farms (discussing hogs), Northridge FFA Chapter (discussing FFA), Wittens Farm Market (discussing farm stands), Pioneer Seeds (discussing crops), and Bane Welker Equipment (discussing equipment). Lauren and Mr. Wehrman, Johnstown Intermediate School’s principal, hopes to host another Ag Day next school year.

“Agriculture is being lost as the new generations replace the old,” Lauren says. “It isn’t because people don’t care or aren’t interested. It is because they don’t have an opportunity to learn and get involved in it.” 

 

Mohammed, AI Safety Awareness, Westerville North High School

U.N. Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education

After noticing a lack of awareness on recognizing scams and AI-generated misinformation, Mohammed focused on educating others on deepfakes and artificial intelligence for his Take Action Project. 

Mohammed organized an AI-awareness workshop at his local public library for older adults, who are often frequent targets for fake phone calls, messages and online content. Through engaging in open discussion, hands-on identification exercises, and sharing his educational website, 100% of attendees left the workshop feeling very confident in their ability to detect AI-generated content. 

His impact continues after the event as well, through his website aimed to educate others on identifying AI and submitting possible AI-generated misinformation to warn others. 

“I learned that I am capable of organizing and leading community initiatives,” says Mohammed. “This project helped me build confidence in public speaking, planning, and using my knowledge to make a real impact.”

 

Olivia, Rain Garden Guide, Granville High School

U.N. Sustainable Development Goal #11 and #13: Sustainable Cities and Communities, Climate Action

Collaborating with the Dawes Arboretum, Olivia developed and distributed 420+ guides on creating rain gardens to homeowners, organizations and businesses in her community. After discovering Ohio’s susceptibility to severe precipitation and seeing the effects of flooding on local creeks, rivers and yards, Olivia wanted to spread information developing “rain gardens,” using native plants that absorb excess precipitation and run-off to thrive. 

Olivia’s guide included an explanation of the benefits of rain gardens, best conditions for growth, and how to create one. She collaborated with Michael Behren’s, a local meteorologist at 10TV, Shannon Barnette, the Horticulture Manager at the Dawes Arboretum, and Peter Lowe, the garden manager at the Dawes Arboretum.

“I have learned that though climate change is very complex, the issues that it creates are also complex and multifaceted,” says Olivia. “ However, I’ve also discovered that making a difference isn’t as difficult when one focuses on smaller components of the problem and that a solution to one facet of climate change can also be a solution to other issues.”

 

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Learn more about each of the 2026 GSD Honorable Mentions via our social media pages this summer!