QUESTION: C

​ an physical activity help prevent diseases and mental illnesses such as dementia, depression, and anxiety?
ACADEMIC SUBJECTS INVOLVED: ​ ​Anatomy, Biology, Fitness, Physiology, Psychology

4484 Sweet Shrub Ct.

Concord, CA 94521

January 28, 2020

Topic Approval Committee

Northgate High School
425 Castle Rock Road
Walnut Creek, CA 94598

Dear Sir or Madam:

In my Research Paper, I hope to answer the question: Can physical activity help prevent diseases and mental illnesses such as
dementia, depression, and anxiety? I have been fully invested in exercise for about three years now. Throughout these years, I
have devoted time every day for working out, making me very knowledgeable, passionate, and experienced in fitness. I am
specifically interested in knowing if physical activity has a large enough influence on the development of diseases and mental
illnesses.

The Experiential Project I have chosen is to volunteer with the Girls On The Run team, helping out for the Kaiser Permanente
Marathon in San Francisco on February 2 from 6:30 am to 9:30 am. The volunteering opportunity will account for five hours
of my community service, including the time to drive there and back. For the rest of my community service activity, I will be
creating several workout plans for others including friends, family, etc, using extensive research. This would take
approximately 10-15 hours to research and create. Another 5 hours would be used to create and post the schedules on my
website portfolio along with a fitness account I have created on my Instagram for a wide community of people to reach. I will
contact several experts that create workout plans for others online to critique the research paper, workout schedule, and to be
interviewed. Hengameh Yousefzadeh, my friend’s mother who often exercises at the gym, has agreed to be my mentor and
help me with this process. However, if I cannot create these plans, I will find more opportunities to volunteer. I anticipate the
project should take me about 25-30 hours.

This will be challenging for me because I have never made a workout plan for anyone other than myself. I have to take into
account how people’s goals can differ, what muscle groups they would want to target, along with many other specifications. I
want to cheer people on and make them feel as motivated as possible to keep running at the half marathon, which can be
difficult. At the end of my project, my Digital Portfolio will detail the entire experience: the research conducted, the project
experience, and my volunteer commitment. I will also document the process on a fitness account I have previously created on
Instagram. Posting the exercises with a detailed description can reach a wider community of people and prove the impact
training can have.

I hope this meets with your approval.

Sincerely,

Ava Zabolzadeh
English Teacher: Mrs. Jenkins, Pd.​ 5​

APPROVAL:
Question: Yes _______ No_______ Project: Yes _______ No_______
Community Svce.: Yes _______ No_______ Academic Relevance: Yes _______ No_______
Print Name:_________________________________ Signature: _____________________________________
Teacher comments/suggestions:______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Parent signature: _______________________________
Topic Approval Committee: Approved _________ Not Approved ____________________