Science Fair Proposal

1. My topic is Street Children

2. Many street children don't have access to local facilities that can take them in for shelter, or are often turned away due to the facilities maximum occupancy limit, or the child does not abide by the rules, etc. Not having any shelter leaves the child exposed to the cruelties and dangers of the outside world.


"There are few to no shelters available in the cities for homeless children. Some may live in a temporary constructed hut or the house of their employer. Majority of street children work. Almost 50% of street children are self-employed as rag-pickers, hawkers, and shoeshine boys, while others work in shops and establishments. Their work hours range between 10-13 hours a day. These children are exposed to high health hazards as population and unhygienic conditions of living. Having no shelter they are constantly exposed to environmental conditions of heat, cold and rain."
"CHILD Protection & Child Rights » Vulnerable Children » Children's Issues » Street Children." CHILDLINE India Foundation. Unknown, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2012. <http://www.childlineindia.org.in/street-children-india.htm>.

3.  If a child is left without any form of protective shelter, then he or she has the greater risk of being exposed to the dangers of the outside world such as: prostitution, violence, exploitation, drug addiction, and in the most unfortunate (but most common) cases- death.

4.For this experiment I will look into research that has already been conducted on the lack of shelters available to street children, and the hazardous conditions of their make-shift homes. I will also research more about the dangers these children face because of this. Once I have this information I will construct a "Portable Home" (name is yet to be determined) based of my product design sketches from the Art Center of Pasadena. I hope to build it as a solution to their dangerous makeshift homes, or lack of shelter, which would in turn decrease the amount of harm these children are exposed to.

5.  Engineering Research and Applications

Working EQ and Possible Answers

1. What is the best way to assimilate street children around the world into better living conditions
2. Not going to revise at this time
3. So far I have come to three possible conclusions: education, prevention counseling, and the proposal of welfare in all countries, however I feel education is the best answer because that can include the other two answers as well and will ultimately break the cycle of the issues street children face in their day to day lives.