IMSA to Host National Education Conference

For Immediate Release, January 2000
For comment, contact Brenda Buschbacher at (630) 907-5033

(Media Advisory: The media are invited to attend the conference. Please call Brenda Buschbacher at 630-907-5033 by February 23 if you would like to attend. More information is available at wwwimsaedu/ncsssmst.)

AURORA– More than 300 educators from around the country will gather at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) March 2-4 for the 13th Annual Professional Conference of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST). The theme of the conference is Liberating Goodness and Genius for the World.

The conference, sponsored by a generous contribution from the Motorola Foundation, will feature keynote speakers Robert Galvin, chairman of the executive committee, Motorola, Inc.; Dr. Paul Sereno, professor at The University of Chicago and world-renowned paleontologist and dinosaur hunter; and Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.

Educators will attend presentations and panel discussions in five strands--

Student Research and Inquiry, Student Leadership Development, Underrepresented/Underserved Populations, Professional Development, and Public Policy for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education.

The NCSSSMST is the nation’s foremost alliance of schools dedicated to transforming mathematics, science and technology education. There are more than 60 member schools in the Consortium representing about half the states. Affiliate members include colleges and universities throughout the U.S.

IMSA is a founding member of the Consortium. Two IMSA staff members now serve on the NCSSSMST Board of Directors. They are mathematics teacher Susan Eddins of Batavia and research specialist Jay Thomas of Aurora.

Located in Aurora, Illinois, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) is an internationally-recognized pioneering educational institution created by the State to develop talent and stimulate excellence in teaching and learning in mathematics, science and technology. IMSA's advanced residential college preparatory program enrolls 650 academically talented Illinois students in grades 10-12. More than 14,000 teachers and 20,000 students in Illinois and beyond have benefited from IMSA's professional development and enrichment programs. IMSA serves the people of Illinois through innovative instructional programs, public and private partnerships, policy leadership and action research.