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Department Honors projects

Education Department Honors Projects

Application Process

Students who wish to pursue Education Department honors collaborate with a faculty member to develop a personalized Honors project. Because of the Professional Semester during the senior year, Education students need to begin the Honors sequence (EDUC 497 and 498) during their junior year. 

Watch this video to learn more. 

Important dates for Education department honors projects. Due by November 1 or April 1: Interested sophomores and juniors submit an online application. Students complete the online form to initiate interest in completing an ed dept honors project. Education dept will review applicants Nov 1-15 or April 1-15. After reviewing all applicants top projects will be selected and faculty advisors will be assigned. Nov 15 or April 15 honors students are notified. Over two semesters- honors research and presentation - honors students will work with their assigned faculty advisor to complete their research project.

 

 

 

 

Current Honors Students

Alix Gates- "Analysis of Children's Literature Representation of Communication Disorders and AAC"

Alix Gates is completing her Education Department Honors project toward her future career as a Speech Language Pathologist. She is conducting a text analysis study of children's literature featuring main characters with communication disorders or who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). To conduct that analysis, she adapted an existing tool to rate disability-related children's literature to more specifically critique representation of types of communication disorders, appropriateness of AAC, and more. Her study so far includes over 60 children's books from picture books and chapter books.

 

 

 

Examples of Past Projects:

The types of projects you can complete fall into three different categories. Here are some examples of past projects and topics that former students have finished:

Anna Marie Clark, University Honors Project

a close-up of a blonde female student wearing glasses

Anna Marie completed an extensive literature review about transition issues and options to support independent living of adults with intellectual disabilities. Extended that to co-present at international convention of Council for Exceptional Children. Proceeded to doctoral program in Occupational Therapy.

a smiling female student with shoulder length brown hair

Dani Pianucci Aschmann, University Honors and Education Honors

Collaborated with faculty to conduct a study of growth across one semester for freshmen who take the study skills course at Messiah. Measured pre and post gains in 5 subscales of metacognitive regulation. Presented findings and implications to 2 university administrators.
two women with dark hair pose side by side.

Dayren Soto, Education Department Honors

Conducted an Auto-Ethnography, studying herself as an English Language Learner. Included artifacts such as report cards, childhood journals, etc.

Sami Fisher, Education Department Honors

Sami Fischer (PreK-4 Cert.) presented her Honors Research Project on "Implementing Bibliotherapy in Early Childhood." She focused on how bibliotherapy can be used for young children processing trauma, specifically in regards to extended hospital stays and the foster care system. After substantial research and evaluation, Sami purchased a number of excellent examples of books that could be used for bibliotherapy in the classroom, with counselors, etc.

 

Julianna Harris, University Honors and Education Department Honors

Juliana Harris

Julianna developed materials to support use of children’s literature in the Oakes Museum of Natural History. She proceeded to obtain a Masters in Museum Education and now works as a Museum Educator in Massachusetts.

 

Paige Grotte Hendricks, Education Department Honors

A female student with long brown hair stands behind a podium speaking

Paige designed social stories and visual schedules to support children with autism participating in field trips to the Oakes Museum of Natural History.

Laura Parks Weittstein, Education Department Honors

A female student sits on a tall stool holding a book open with one hand. A wooden bookshelf fills the space behind her.

Laura studied math-related children’s picture books to determine gaps in the material. She then wrote a book to fill a gap in data and probability.

Are you interested in completing an honors project?

Apply now!

Funding Opportunities

Some past honors students have needed or chosen to purchase materials for their projects. We would like to help you with this! See below for some available awards you can apply for to help with any costs associated with your research. You can also use funding to support the costs associated with presenting at a conference:

Dr. Dorothy J. Gish Women in Leadership Award

A monetary award given to full-time female students at Messiah University who aspire to develop their gifts and advance in leadership roles. The maximum award for each individual proposal is $400. Students can apply using this application.

Anita Voelker Scholarship Fund for Research in Literacy Education

A monetary award open to students in the Education Department who are conducting, presenting, or writing about research in a field related to literacy. This can include Family Literacy, Children’s Literature, Emergent Literacy, TESOL Literacy, Technology and Literacy, Writing Methods, Oral Literacy, Storytelling, Listening Skills, and other cross-departmental research collaboration with literacy as a focus. Learn more and apply for funding here. $150 max per person for an honors project.

Library Student Research Grant Award, Sponsored by Friends of Murray Library

The objective of this award is to provide seniors an opportunity to experience a taste of graduate school or professional level research using both Murray Library's print and digital collections as well as other relevant research materials for their chosen topic located at other institutions or organizations. The amount of this award is $750. Please submit the attached application to Tracy Sheaffer at tsheaffer@messiah.edu.