6/12-6/16

During the second week of Mountaintop, our primary objective was to complete an IRB proposal for the natural experiment we plan to launch in October. Obtaining approval from the Almaty high school, our partner institution, was crucial as it required students to fill consent forms to participate in our study. On Tuesday, during our Weekly League Check-Ins, we presented our project, discussed the progress made during our fieldwork, and outlined our plans for the upcoming week.

On Thursday, we had a meeting with our professor to discuss the specifics of the IRB proposal and explore potential partnerships that could empower the people of Almaty. During this meeting, our professor provided us with the missing piece required to set up our monitors. Additionally, the professor highlighted an interesting observation from her extended stay in Almaty: company representatives expressed more interest in our filter than in our monitor. As a result, one suggestion was to design an interactive pamphlet explaining the root causes of air pollution, promoting the benefits of using and purchasing our filter, and highlighting the positive health effects of having multiple filters.

In the afternoon, we shifted our focus to hands-on work, constructing additional monitors in Wilbur. With all the necessary components in place, we successfully assembled multiple monitors. Both Almaty and Lehigh now have air monitors, allowing both sides to continue their testing. We reached out to our partners at Lingen University via email, requesting additional air filters for Lehigh, since our only unit is currently in Almaty. Unfortunately, they currently don’t have any available units, but they assured us that they would notify us as soon as more supplies become accessible.

6/5-6/9

The first day of Mountaintop we started the day with an introductory session, providing us with a glimpse of what is ahead in this extraordinary program. Our session began with a round of introductions, facilitated by Bill’s engaging icebreakers. As we took turns sharing our backgrounds and origins, to create a more welcoming space. 

One of the highlights of the day was the opportunity to see the incredible projects underway within each group. It helped us all see new perspectives on the diverse ideas and initiatives being pursued. Each presentation offered a unique glimpse into the creative minds of our fellow participants and their ambition for the next ten weeks.

To summarize the activities over the next couple of days at Mountaintop, we made comprehensive plans for the week. Our top three priorities included assigning specific roles to interested Halieybury students for our project, which we discussed during our previous meeting with them during fieldwork. We successfully scheduled a meeting with these students for this coming Monday, where we will introduce the projects and clarify their tasks based on their preferred roles (such as cognitive function, air monitors, air filters, or targeted public outreach).

The second area of focus was the implementation of air monitors. While we had already built a few for Almaty, we needed to create monitors for Lehigh as well. To accomplish this, we utilized the Wilbur Electronic Design Room to assemble the necessary components. This week, we managed to construct approximately six monitors. However, they are not yet fully functional, as we are currently awaiting a missing piece that the professor will be sending us shortly. Once we receive it, we will have a complete set of six monitors.

Lastly, we dedicated attention to the development of our Institutional Review Board (IRB) proposals. These proposals are crucial for obtaining approval to conduct our natural experiment in schools across Almaty. We are actively working on these proposals to ensure we meet all the necessary requirements and receive the green light for our research.

In summary, the key accomplishments of the past few days at Mountain Top involved assigning roles to Halieybury students, organizing a meeting with them, constructing air monitors for Lehigh, and progressing with the IRB proposals for our project in Almaty.