Last year was a turbulent time for so many. In addition to a raging pandemic, we all witnessed deep social inequities that exist in the U.S. coming into the spotlight; racial, socioeconomic, and beyond. ASA recently did some research into the emotional state of Gen Z from mid 2020 to early 2021, and asked questions to better understand the drivers of their decision-making.

ASA recently did some research into the emotional state of Gen Z from mid 2020 to early 2021. Overall, Gen Z’s average level of stress was a 6.29 on a scale of 1 to 10. Their stress is higher than their levels of mental healthiness, confidence, anxiety, and optimism...it’s safe to say that, compared to other emotions, stress is a dominant factor in their lives.

Designed to encourage career exploration through project-based learning for middle school students, in the Solve Together challenge student teams selected one of four real-world challenges, developed a solution, and built and presented their project to address major issues we face today, such as climate change, impacts of the pandemic, and the possibility of sustaining life on other planets.