Your capstone project will quickly become the guarantor for your professional future. From the start, you debate causes and problems that you’re willing to spend the next semester or two analyzing, possibly solving, writing about and defending. If you’re struggling to focus your passion, here are five areas for inspiration rife with need and promise.
1. Sustainable Farming, Food Systems and Nutrition
The Good Food Movement has brought local, regional, national and global attention to the food we develop and consume. From genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and organic farming to urban gardening in impoverished neighborhoods or humane treatment of farm-raised cattle or poultry, changes in resources, technology and consumer needs are revolutionizing the associated industries. Food Politic: Journal of Food News and Culture lists “Food Nonprofits Making a Difference,” with no fewer than 15 national and another dozen regional organizations tackling specific challenges to an accessible and safe food supply. Local organizations active in the community are also valuable resource partners.
2. Poverty, Families and Affordable Health Care
Theoretical experts and policy hacks battle over national health care strategies. Loaded terms like single-payer health systems, Obama Care, private insurance, for-profit medical institutions and social medicine suggest a deluge of often controversial options but few answers. Meanwhile, poor families struggle for access to the dental, visual, and preventive medical care and treatments that they need. Internationally, other countries administer assorted programs with varying degrees of success, debt and effectiveness. For brain-storming, The Alliance for Advancing Nonprofit Health Care offers comprehensive data on everything from billing practices for the uninsured to ethics and the measurable community benefits of affordable healthcare resources.
3. Domestic Violence and Family Safety
“Domestic violence-related police calls . . . constitute the single largest category of calls received by police, accounting for 15 to more than 50 percent of all calls,” according to a National Institute of Justice special report, The Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research. Add to that resource the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and its slew of statistics, and you’re sure to identify the kernel of an idea worthy of deeper exploration. For starters, the coalition provides national and state-by-state statistics on rape; stalking; homicide; children; economic, physical and mental impacts; subtopics by age and ethnicity; information on public policy; and links to other organizations.
4. Sports Safety Equipment and Injuries
Concussion is just one injury highlighting how levels of athletic performance are escalating. The need for correlating improvements in equipment like helmets, guards and shoes for players as well as protection for spectators is greater than ever. The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment website details equipment standards for each sport, developments pending on the horizon, current standards under review, and even research grants and contracts. More grass-roots, the Youth Sports Safety Alliance was founded to “make America’s sports programs safer for young adults.” Their site hosts active initiatives like Kickstart My Heart and Safe Sports Schools as well as valuable statistics.
5. Rehabilitation and Occupational Therapy
Rehabilitation and occupational therapy comprise a wide venue, but The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) website lets you quickly drill down through layers of topics projected to require increasing attention throughout the 21st century. If your focus is youth, check out early intervention strategies, literacy or sensory integration. At the other end of the spectrum, aging populations may benefit from driving safety, falls prevention or home modification programs. Mental health, ethics and even disorders like autism, dementia and Alzheimer’s also fall into this category. Don’t forget the financial aspects, either; all of these programs require investment, and funding is always an issue for providers and participants alike.
Making a Difference
Whatever you consider, choose an issue that will make you proud to say a decade from now, “I did my master’s capstone project on that very topic.” If you’re lucky, you might become published, but more important – published or not – you’ll have the chance to make a difference in a world desperately in need.
Further reading: 5 Ideas for Capstone Projects in Healthcare Management Programs
