2026 Capstones
View the Class of 2026 Cleveland Freedom Project's Capstone Projects below. Click the photo to view the full capstone.
Congratulations to the Capstone & Interview Winners of 2026!
Students Over Statistics
By Emmanuel Heard & Taeonna Walker
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is undergoing major changes as student enrollment continues to decline across the city. To address this decline, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) is closing and merging schools, reducing the number of buildings it operates, and reorganizing resources to better serve students. CMSD is restructuring due to declining enrollment and population changes. The district is consolidating schools and closing underused no buildings to save money and improve educational opportunities for students.
The Cost of The American Dream
By: Giani Williams
Affordable housing remains one of the main challenges for low-income Ohioans. The shortage of affordable housing continues to grow, while homelessness in Ohio increased in 2025. Expanding access to safe, affordable and low-income housing is a step to improving economic stability and reducing homelessness across the state.
What No One Saw
By: Breillyn McPherson, Chloe Barrett, and April Johnson
Domestic violence is a widespread public health and human rights issue that affects individuals all ages, genders, and backgrounds. It includes physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and financial abuse used violently to gain power or control over the other person or spouse. Ways to prevent domestic violence can be education, early intervention, accessible resources for victims, and accountability from offenders. Beyond the surface, domestic violence affects children, families, workplaces, and entire communities contributing to trauma and instability.
A Bullet That Conquers All
By: Beau Harris & Marrell Robinson
Gun suicide is a serious problem in the state of Ohio and has affected many families and communities. From 2014 to 2023, the overall gun death rate in Ohio increased by 68%, showing that gun violence has become much more common over the years. In 2023, Ohio had the fifth-highest gun suicide rate among people in the United States. This shows that communities in Ohio are being affected at a much higher rate than many other states.
A Childhood Stolen
By: Tristin Gooden & Nasir Horton
Youth crime and safety is an issue in Cleveland, Ohio. Many neighborhoods still suffer from violence, robberies and gun-related crimes and property crimes. Youth crime and safety issues leave Cleveland residents, families, schools, and businesses in fear and prevent the community from growing. We need to analyze why young people are committing crimes, how it affects the community, and what we can do to make Cleveland safer. We should think about ways to make the neighborhoods better and create a Cleveland for everyone, where youth crime and safety are not such big concerns.
Better Lake Than Never
By: Darrius Ensley & Zymir Jackson
Plastic pollution is the collection of plastic bags and plastic bottles that are not biodegradable. Plastic pollution is a global environmental problem because it has long-lasting effects and affects wildlife, ecosystems, the climate, and people. 79% of plastic pollution is being left behind in Cleveland, Ohio, harming the water and lives of its population.
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Risks and Responsibilities
By: Najwa Smithwick & Josh Mhoon
Teenage pregnancy is an important issue that affects teens and families in the state of Ohio. It is calculated based on the result in live births, miscarriages, or abortions among young women under age 20. With rates being higher in lower income families and minority communities.
Signing Out For Safety
By: Randy Mitchell and Brenda Johnson
Social media can affect your mental health, including body image, self-esteem, sleep disruption, and fear of being left out. In Cleveland, 22% to 42% of teens and adults mental health are actively affected due to the impactful influences of the internet.
The Recipe for Risk
By: Kiante Johnson and Lina Miller
What we eat is an important part of our lives, and not knowing what we eat can affect our health greatly. It is estimated that about ¼ of the population in Ohio eats more than the normal amount of fast food. That is an estimated 3.6 million people who may be unaware of what they are putting in their bodies, aside from minors.
Broken By A Fix
By: Antoine Maiden & Daveon Ivery
Drug abuse is a major problem in Cleveland that causes overdose, increases crime, and harms people's health. It places a heavy strain on families, hospitals, and neighborhoods as usage increases. In 2023, fentanyl was involved in 78% of unintentional drug overdose in Ohio. Drug overdoses have declined over the time, but there are still many who suffer from drug side effects, causing their addiction to continue.
Box With No Doors
By: Lanyia Burton & Daymon Hansard
Youth homelessness is a growing issue in Ohio that affects young people, their families, and communities in many ways. Homeless youth often face challenges related to mental health, physical health, education, and personal safety. Rising housing costs, a shortage of affordable housing, family conflict, and limited access to supportive services make it difficult for many young people to find and maintain stable housing.
Brain On Lockdown
By: Jay’Shaun Mhoon & Devyn Edmond
Lack of mental health services in prisons refers to the inability of individuals to receive necessary psychological support; counselings. This affects incarcerated inmates. People with mental illness often face challenges to navigating life in a jail or prison. 37% of people in state and federal prisons have a history of mental illness.
From Training Camps To City Streets
By: Adon Hall & Demiya Chambers
Countless veterans continue to fall through the cracks of the very system they served to protect. Many veterans in Cleveland experience homelessness due to the high cost of housing, low wages, unemployment and mental health challenges. Some families and veterans also struggle to find stable housing after difficult life events.
Mask Down
By: Sammie Bell & Darnesha Greene
Crime rates in Cleveland have become a major problem due to the severe poverty in the area and high unemployment. Most of these crimes fall into the categories of homicides, rapes, robberies, and assault. These crimes usually occur in a residence, alley, or sidewalks. High crime rates can make people feel unsafe, discourage businesses from investing in the communities, and overall have a negative impact on quality of life.
Shielded By The System
By: Marlen Alexander, Christopher Gooden, Dallas Chambers
Police brutality in Cleveland is an ongoing problem that affects people of all ages, including young people and older adults. Police brutality can cause serious injuries, emotional trauma, and even death. These incidents can make people feel unsafe and erode trust in law enforcement. If police brutality continues to happen, it will be harder for Cleveland to reach its goal of becoming more safe.
The Missing Support
By: Dior Howell and Halle Shazor Ross
Over 24 million adults and 1.8 million youth in the U.S. do not receive the psychiatric help they need, leading them to unhealthy mental states. To need psychiatric help means that your mental and emotional state may be so unstable that it is bringing you and others harm. Without this necessary help, conditions/disorders that people may have can worsen. Despite psychiatric attention being a necessity, citizens in Ohio still suffer daily by the lack of help.
