Education Commons^™

Closing The Global Opportunity Gap In Open Innovation Based Stem Education For Displaced Youth, Minseo Jung '22

Student Publications & Research

Both Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals (MDG) agendas emphasize increasing equality of global educational opportunities and bridging the accessibility gap. Approximately 25% of refugees are deprived of elementary school educational opportunities, and about 65% do not have access to secondary school (Dryden-Peterson, 2010). Studies of Syrian refugees show that the lack of partnership and digital technology in higher education restricts their educational opportunities (Pherali and Abu Mohli, 2021). The recent STEM education reform for IMSA proposes a community-oriented open innovation STEM model that combines community and open innovation (Lee and Jung, 2021). The gap of global educational …

Parental Opinions And Perceptions Regarding Informal Stem Education, Christine L. Moskalik

Publications & Research

The purpose of this research was 1) to develop a new instrument to explore factors parents value regarding informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enrichment experiences for their children in Illinois, and 2) to adapt and use an existing instrument to assess the degree to which parental perceptions of their child’s STEM attitudes and beliefs align with the child’s actual STEM attitudes and beliefs. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was implemented over two parts. During Part I, a new survey was developed to quantitatively measure the degree to which certain factors are valued by parents when considering STEM enrichment …

E-Steam-Ed Individuals: The Significance Of Art In Ste(A)M, Kristen Feigel

Goal 4: Intrapersonal Intelligence Narrative

Purpose: To expose students gifted with academic and/or STEM proficiency to the benefits of Art in their education and daily lives. To offer students opportunities to try different types of art to encourage creativity and different ways of thinking.

Problem Centered Teaching By Tomorrow, Cassandra Armstrong

Publications & Research

Problem Centered Instruction is a great way to engage students, integrate content, and inspire learning. However, true problem centered instruction requires a major shift in both teaching and learning, requiring the one thing teachers don't have: time. In today's session, we will look at some simple strategies that teachers can put to immediate use within the classroom to help start the shift towards a student-led, problem centered learning environment.

Lilavathi's Cup, Patrick Young

ISBE Transitional Math Curriculum: STEM Pathway

No abstract provided.

Learning Opportunities 2019/2020, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Course Catalogs

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of five academic courses (2.5 credits) for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail) not including Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. Students may enroll in a maximum of nine courses each semester including academic courses, Fine Arts,Wellness, SIR, Internship, and Independent Study. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count towards graduation credit.

Diversifying The Stem Education To Career Pathway!!!, Adrienne Coleman, Sowmya Anjur

Faculty Publications & Research

Education has always been a privilege. Most of us do not realize this. Opposition to the implementation of diversity and social equity has littered history. Many modern inventions and improvements were conceived under circumstances that included dire poverty and social inequity. The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy recognizes and acknowledges the historical underrepresentation and marginalization of culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse groups, both universally, and particularly, in STEM education and professions. Thus, this presentation will focus on the development of a plan for advancing equity in STEM education and representation and creating a diverse, inclusive community of global citizens who …

Learning Opportunities 2018/2019, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Course Catalogs

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of five academic courses (2.5 credits) for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail) not including Fine Arts, Wellness, and Independent Study courses. Students may enroll in a maximum of nine courses each semester including academic courses, Fine Arts, Wellness, SIR, and Independent Study. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count towards graduation credit.

D-Stem Equity Model: Diversifying The Stem Education To Career Pathway!!!, Adrienne Coleman

Publications & Research

According to the National Science Foundation, “the U.S. STEM workforce must be considered in the context of an expanding and vibrant global scientific and technological enterprise” (2014). “The National Academy of Sciences further suggests that, without the participation of individuals of all races and genders, the increasing demand for workers in STEM fields will not be met, potentially compromising the position of the United States as a global leader”. The stark reality is that there are a disproportionate number of Blacks and Latinos who lack the access and exposure to become STEM-literate. In order for the U.S. to remain a …

2018 Imsaloquium, Student Investigation Showcase, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

"This is IMSA's 31st year of leading in educational innovation and the 30th year of the Student Inquiry and Research Program (SIR)! ... These studies have all happened during the past year in a variety of laboratories, real or virtual, on and off campus. Students were asked to not only learn a great deal about complex topics, but to contribute to them in meaningful ways. The presentations you hear today reflect the various stages of their work on a myriad of projects."

Imsa360: Spring 2018, Imsa Fund

IMSA Fund Reports

IMSA is a leader in educating and developing a diverse STEM pipeline of creative, ethical, and scientific innovators for Illinois and the world. We aspire to become a recognized global leader and catalyst in equity and excellence in STEM teaching and learning, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Excerpt: From the President

Imsa 2018 Profile, Office Of College And Academic Counseling

IMSA Profile

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) fosters the discoverers. The thinkers. The innovators and experimenters. The problem-solvers of the future who can change the world through their life’s work. IMSA innovates the future of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. It creates a strong and diverse pipeline of talented students at its tuition-free residential academy in Aurora, IL for 10th through 12th grade students. IMSA’s mission is to ignite and nurture creative, scientific, ethical minds that advance the human condition.

Imsa: Innovating Stem Education, Britta W. Mckenna

Publications & Research

The mission of IMSA, the world’s leading teaching and learning laboratory for imagination and inquiry, is to ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific minds that advance the human condition.

Imsa360: Fall 2017, Imsa Fund

IMSA Fund Reports

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! It’s a special academic year in that we begin the school year with a full budget! Over the past three years, our colleagues in public schools (K-12), who are under the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), began their school year with a full budget while IMSA and the rest of the universities, which are under the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), began and operated most of the past two years without a full budget.

Excerpt: From the President

Learning Opportunities 2017/2018, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Course Catalogs

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are in concert with those maintained by the State of Illinois with additional requirements as established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of five courses (2.5 credits) for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail) not including Fine Arts, Wellness, and Independent Study courses. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count towards graduation credit.

2017 Imsaloquium, Student Investigation Showcase, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

"This is IMSA's 30th year of leading in educational innovation and the 29th year of the Student Inquiry and Research Program (SIR)! Welcome to another year of profound investigation and discovery! In these pages, you will find exciting abstracts on a variety of fantastic studies done by IMSA's great minds."

Recipient Of The 2017 Alumni Trailblazer Award, Claudia Flores '93

Alumni Trailblazer Award

Ms. Flores is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) at The University of Chicago Law School. IHRC works to promote and protect the human rights of individuals and communities globally. Prior to The University of Chicago Law School, Flores was a partner in the civil rights practice of Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. Additionally, she served as constitutional and legal advisor for the United Nations in East Timor and Zimbabwe. She also managed a program of the American Center for International Labor Solidarity to combat human trafficking in Indonesia …

Recipient Of The 2017 Alumni Distinguished Leadership Award, Vincent Enriquez '99

Alumni Distinguished Leadership Award

Major Enriquez served as part of Operation Enduring Freedom with deployments in Afghanistan and PACOM Theater. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Sapper Tab, Ranger Tab, and Special Forces Tab. His foreign awards include the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold), and Australian, Korean, and Thai Airborne Wings. Army Ranger and Special Forces “Green Beret” Major Vincent Enriquez graduated from the United States Military Academy with a …

Recipient Of The 2017 Alumni Distinguished Leadership Award, Julie Comerford '98

Alumni Distinguished Leadership Award

Dr. Comerford is Assistant Professor in the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she works on observations of kpc-scale separation dual supermassive black holes in merger-remnant galaxies. These objects are observable when one or both of the supermassive black holes accrete gas as active galactic nuclei (AGN), in systems known as offset AGN and dual AGN, respectively. She uses research as a tool for education, teaming up with PhD Comics to create a video “Black Holes Explained,” which has received over 50,000 views on YouTube. Additionally, she has been working to improve equity …

Imsa360: Winter 2017, Imsa Fund

IMSA Fund Reports

IMSA is nurturing a strong and diverse pipeline of innovative leaders for Illinois and the world, preparing them to solve the most complex social problems of our time.

Innovation is part of IMSA’s legacy. In fact, IMSA alumni have been driving the technology sector over the past decade. Andrew Baptist ‘94, Greg Dhuse ‘99, Dusty Hendrickson ‘01 and Ethan Wozniak ‘99 are responsible for 212 of 350 patents generated by data storage leader, Cleversafe. Sam Yagan ‘95 relocated his tech company, ShopRunner, to Illinois and also co-founded OkCupid, SparkNotes, Techstars Chicago and Corazon Capital. Jessica Droste Yagan ‘95, CEO of …

Imsa 2017 Profile, Office Of College And Academic Counseling

IMSA Profile

"The internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students (grades 10-12) in its advanced, residential college preparatory program. 99.5% of graduating seniors matriculate to colleges and universities."*

*Excerpt from the IMSA 2017 Profile

1. Types Of Alignment: Presentations & Demos Assignment, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll

Sequence Alignments

Pairwise Alignment: DNA

Pairwise Alignment: Protein

Multiple Sequence Alignment: DNA

Multiple Sequence Alignment: Protein

Learning Opportunities 2016/2017, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Course Catalogs

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are in concert with those maintained by the State of Illinois with additional requirements as established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of 5 academic courses (2.5 credits) for a grade (not Pass/Fail). Fine Arts, Wellness, and Independent Study courses, or any course taken on a Pass/Fail basis do not count towards the 5 course (2.5 credits) minimum. Most students will take between 5 (2.5 credits) and 7 (3.5 credits) academic courses per semester. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count …

Creating The Next Generation Of Innovators, Britta W. Mckenna, Lawrence Bergie

Publications & Research

Our educational system has been designed to test for knowledge and to teach to tests that measure said knowledge. We train our students for tests, but they crave applied learning opportunities to connect their knowledge to the real world. Employers are looking for talent that can problem-solve, work well in teams, ask good questions, communicate and apply knowledge and skills.

2016 Imsaloquium, Student Investigation Showcase, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

"Welcome to the twenty-eighth year of the Student Inquiry and Research Program (SIR)! This is a program that is as old as IMSA. The SIR program represents our unending dedication to enabling our students to learn what it is to be an innovator and to make contributions to what is known on Earth."

1. "Investigating The Impact Of Changes In Carbon Dioxide Concentration On Ecosystems", Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Ecosystem Disruption & Climate Change

Question: Does the concentration of carbon dioxide affect air temperature in a closed environment?

2a: "Illinois Carbon Dioxide Emissions Activity", Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Ecosystem Disruption & Climate Change

Your goal for this activity is to compare the different sources of carbon dioxide emissions, stemming from the consumption of fossil fuels, in Illinois. To do this you will be working with data spanning from 1980 to 2012.

3: "The Current Extinction: Defaunation & Ecosystem Disruption", Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll, Crystal Randall

Ecosystem Disruption & Climate Change

Information taken from: Dirzo, R. et al (2014). Defaunation in the Anthropocene. Science, 345(401).

Scientists estimate, conservatively, that there are 5 to 9 million different animal species on the planet. But that number is continually changing, and unfortunately, dropping, as we are likely losing 11,000- 58,000 species annually, and evidence suggests that on average, there has been a decline of about 28% in terms of numbers of individuals within a species over the last four decades. Both of these statistics are vitally important. The critical nature of the first is perhaps more obvious, as total loss of a species is …

The Greenhouse Effect: Does The Concentration Of Carbon Dioxide Affect The Air Temperature In A Closed Environment?, Climate Science Investigations - Nasa

Ecosystem Disruption & Climate Change

The purpose of this lesson is to investigate the effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration on air temperature in a closed environment.

Imsa360: 2016, Imsa Fund

IMSA Fund Reports

About ten years ago I tried to explain to my wife what made IMSA such an important, life-changing place for me. That explanation turned into a 329 page novel (my first published young adult novel), that I still think only scratched the surface of what makes IMSA such a wondrous, rare, and crucial place.

Excerpt: From the President