Homestead High Students Lance Project to combat the impact of dementia – The Mercury News

When Homestead High School students launched Project Preserte through the future business leaders of America Club of their school last August, they did not expect to be in conversations with state representatives or to help adopt federal legislation.

Directed by Arhan Chakravarthy and Samik Thakur, Project Presert was created to deal with the impact of dementia in their community and stimulates a significant change.

The initiative began with a simple observation: despite the millions of Americans, dementia often remains in the shadows. Thanks to interviews with more than 80 families affected by Alzheimer’s disease, students discovered a common need for better support systems, an increase in research funding and community awareness.

Working alongside the Alzheimer’s association, Project Preserte transformed these stories into a plea for Napa Reauthorization Act (HR 619) and the Alzheimer’s responsibility and investment law (HR 620). Their efforts have contributed to the successful adoption of the two acts, obtaining continuous federal funding for Alzheimer’s research and care programs.

“We wanted to have a real and lasting impact, not only to increase awareness,” explains Chakravarthy. “The advocacy for these acts of the congress allowed the research and care of dementia to continue to receive the attention and the funding it deserves.”

In this spirit, they created “the Matters spirit: understanding dementia”, a podcast dedicated to public education on cognitive health and dementia care. Featuring experts such as Vanessa Souza of the Alzheimer and Robin Shepherd association of the Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation, the podcast has covered key subjects, including research on dementia of Lewy’s body and improving patient care.

They also built Brain Boggle, an interactive platform where people can exercise their cognitive skills through games and follow their progress.

The podcast reached more than 1,200 listeners, and Brain Boggle has won more than 500 unique visitors.

In addition, the team connected their classmates with volunteer opportunities in Crescent Oaks Memory Care in Sunnyvale, where students have engaged in elderly in memory games and social activities. The program reached more than 45 senior residents, with comments indicating that many felt more mentally committed and socially connected after participating.

In partnership with Susan and Charles Berghoff Foundation (SCBF), students also welcomed Dr. Joseph Winer, a sleep researcher from the University of Stanford, for a guest speaker event. Addressing nearly 60 members of the community, Dwiner highlighted the role of sleep management in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the link between sleep habits, cognitive function and long -term brain health.

“Project Preserve has demonstrated exceptional foresight and dedication in the education of students on brain health and dementia,” said Robin Shepherd, co-founder of SCBF. “Arhan and Samik are researchers of tomorrow and health experts who will undoubtedly make a substantial contribution to a healthy life and a longevity.”

Their efforts were recognized by the American senator Adam Schiff, the member of the Congress Ro Khanna and the state senses Josh Becker, Dave Cortese and Aisha Wahab, as well as the assembly Patrick Ahrens. The mayor of Cupertino Liang-Fang Chao and the mayor of Sunnyvale, Larry Klein, also recognized Chakravarthy and Thakur in community education and higher commitment.

Although these praises are encouraging, students say that testifying to a direct impact on families has been the most rewarding.

“People often ask us why high school students would tackle such a complex health problem,” said Thakur. “And the simple answer is, as our population ages, dementia will affect more families, including ours, and we cannot afford to wait.”

Tara Sreekrishnan is a member of the County School Board of Santa Clara, representing the trustee region 2.