Joss Miller, 16, first got interested in the Israel-Palestine conflict two years ago, after repeatedly reading media reports on violence in the area. But she really got to explore the topic this spring as a student of the Woolman Semester in Nevada City.

Miller is one of 12 students from across America now enrolled at the Woolman Semester, a semester-long academic program located at the Sierra Friends Center in the Bitney Springs area.

As part of the curriculum at Woolman, Miller and her peers researched burning international issues like the Israel-Palestine conflict, the liberation of Tibet, the economic crisis in Zimbabwe and U.S. Mexico border and wrote a research paper on the topic of their choice.

Six Woolman students will present their research to the public from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. May 15 at the Sierra Friends Center. The remaining students will set up table presentations for visitors.

“This project taught me how to do my own research,” Miller said. “It was really up to the students to do the research and get the projects done. It was a great experience for me to learn how to sift through information.”

Miller’s research paper is already 27-pages long, with a bibliography consisting of about 15 books, Web sites, news articles and opinion columns, she said.

Principal Shana Maziarz of Woolman Semester said such an extensive research project is “fairly unique at a high school level.”

“The students have to write a 15-page paper using the APA (American Psychological Association) style,” Maziarz said. “They are required to use peer-reviewed journals instead of simply getting all their information online.”

The American Psychological Association stylebook is used by university students nationwide while writing their theses and dissertations. The stylebook gives guidelines on how to use citations, create bibliography and present data in a research paper.

Woolman students went to the University of California, Davis to use its databases, said Kate Zook Gibbs, world issues teacher at Woolman. “They also accessed databases at the Madelyn Helling Library.”

“What students learn at the Woolman Semester is how to gather a body of research and then analyze and synthesize that information,” Maziarz said. “Students honestly are bored at their schools. They are not being challenged. The reason why they come to Woolman is that they can take charge of their education.”

Students at Woolman consist of high school juniors, seniors and fresh high school graduates, Maziarz said.

To contact Soumitro Sen, e-mail ssen@theunion.com or call 477-4229.