Irvington High School Junior To Compete In National MIT Competition

IRVINGTON, NY — Irvington High School science research student Jimmy Park, a junior, has been selected as a finalist in the preliminary round of the MIT INSPIRE competition, a national high school research competition in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Park, who will compete in the anthropology category, is among approximately 105 finalists who have advanced to the first round of competition, which will be held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from April 10-12, according to a district spokeswoman.

For the preliminary round, MIT INSPIRE judges evaluated student research papers, which were submitted online, and selected the nation’s best projects. According to the committee of experts, each finalist has demonstrated the ability to think critically, innovate and engage in meaningful inquiry.

Irvington High School teacher Nadia Parikka, who co-advises the Science Research program with Geraldine Winterroth, said Park is the school’s first applicant to MIT INSPIRE.

“Jimmy's self-motivation and dedication to his research is admirable, and we are very proud of him,” Parikka said.

Park’s research is titled “Main Factors Contributing to Cognitive Growth in Preschool Children in Tanzania and India.” He has been working with his mentor Dr. Haein Shin, an education technical adviser at Columbia University’s Earth Institution.

The objective of this study is to bring awareness to Global Partnership for Education’s Early Childhood Care and Education, a program that aims to create a holistic foundation for children in developing countries; and demonstrate how India and Tanzania, as case studies, are improving their ECCE conditions. Park’s objective is also to recommend best practices for potential scale up projects and replication in other countries.

Photo credit: Irvington Union Free School District.