From IMSA Center for Teaching and Learning email . . .

IMSA STEM League is a three-month, online mini-course designed around a hot topic in STEM, which will include a book read, documentaries/TED Talks, and other source material. This is open to ALL motivated and independent learners in grades 8-11 who have an interest in STEM and the course topic. The weekly time commitment is 1-3 hours. This course (with a different topic each year) will run annually from mid January-mid April. $60 participation fee.

In this course students will explore the recent developments in the field of genetics, with an emphasis on gene therapy and gene editing. The ethical considerations of these powerful tools will also be considered. A variety of media sources such as readings, videos, and online tools will be explored, evaluated and discussed. Over the course of this program we will read The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It, a narrative nonfiction book by Dr. Ricki Lewis, a geneticist, science writer, and educator. The course will culminate in a live, online, interactive session with Dr. Lewis. This course will be led by an IMSA Center for Teaching and Learning curriculum specialist in collaboration with IMSA Science faculty with facilitation assistance from IMSA students.

This mostly asynchronous, online program will give students the opportunity to

Learn genetics content that has relevant societal implications and

Participate in an online community of scientific thinking and discussion.

Register here.