Newswise — Aurora, IL – The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy is leading the emerging trend in STEM education of developing the next generation of global problem solvers, and living one of its founding principles to “significantly influence life on our planet.”

In 2015, countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In 2017, IMSA adopted these 17 Sustainable Development Goals and started to incorporate them into curriculum spanning all subjects on campus.

IMSA's Biology department has begun to incorporate the sustainable development goals into their coursework. Faculty members, Dr. Don Dosch and Ms. Sarah O’Leary Driscoll include the sustainable development goals as part of the curriculum in Scientific Inquiry – Biology, a sophomore biology class that addresses six broad conceptual areas: the nature of the scientific process, structure and function relationships, evolution, heredity, metabolism and ecosystem disruption. The final project for this class asks students to explore the environment and ecosystems of the planet with particular attention to recent changes that result from human activity. Students receive eleven prompts to choose from for their project that cover targets and indicators for sustainable development goals 6: clean water & sanitation, 12: responsible consumption & production, 13: climate action, 14: life below water, and 15: life on land. This project not only requires students to complete significant research in one of these areas, but also to provide possible solutions. It begins their journey at IMSA to become a creative, ethical, scientific mind that advances the human condition.

Recognizing that many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals address issues that surpass national boundaries and cannot be resolved by any one country or school acting alone, IMSA is taking its vision to a global high school audience. The 2018 International Student Science Fair, hosted by IMSA, will feature a program that addresses three of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – SDG : Zero Hunger, SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, and SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. This trailblazing event will encourage and foster cooperation and collaboration among participating students and education while addressing these global goals to improve people’s lives around the world.

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) is the world’s leading teaching and learning laboratory for imagination and inquiry and an esteemed three-year residential high school.. Students hail from across Illinois and are enrolled in tuition-free, rigorous college preparatory classes. Graduates are leaders in the business, education, scientific, and civic sectors.

Notable technology alumni include YouTube Co-Founder Steve Chen, PayPal Co-Creator Yu Pan, Yelp Co-Founder Russell Simmons, SparkNotes and OkCupid Co-Founder Sam Yagan, and Hearsay Social Founder, Clara Shih. IMSA is proud to have been named among the top 40 public and private college preparatory institutions in the world by The Wall Street Journal. It was the 2009 winner of the Intel Schools of Distinction Star Innovator Award and has been profiled by NBC-TV's Dateline, CNN's Science and Technology News, USA Today, New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

To find out more about IMSA, the 2018 International Student Science Fair and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, please visit imsa.edu, issf2018.com, and un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

Meeting Link: International Student Science Fair (ISSF) 2018