Fusion Educator Program

Professional Development with Fusion

IMSA Fusion is a teacher professional development and STEM enrichment program for students in grades 3-8. By design, the IMSA Fusion curriculum is inquiry-based, problem-centered, competency-driven, and integrative. The learning experiences focus on helping students “learn how to learn” and emphasize collaboration, mathematical thinking, and experimental scientific thinking. Topics relate to the students’ lives, thereby arousing their curiosity and increasing their motivation to learn mathematics and science. Teachers from each participating school are supported with ongoing professional development for the delivery of the curriculum and the use of appropriate pedagogy.

In brief, the program goals are:

  • Maintain or increase students’ interest, involvement, and literacy in science and mathematics
  • Enhance the knowledge and skills of teachers in science, mathematics, and technology; stimulate excellence in schools
  • Stimulate excellence in schools’ science and mathematics programs
  • Help increase access to programming for students who are historically under-resourced in science, mathematics, and technology and for all areas of the state

IMSA Fusion Program Registration

With each Unit of Study, you will gain access to:

  • Access to our online learning management system, Canvas, where detailed instructional pages with student-friendly learning objectives and associated learning standards, a comprehensive materials list, and interactive virtual professional development are conveniently located
  • RSVP to save your spot to attend in-person professional development training(s) during Summer 2023.

Get Started!

Step 1: Review the curriculum choices for your grade band. Choose your curriculum topic(s)

Step 2: Subscribe to the Fusion curriculum choice(s) listed below. If you would like to pay with a purchase order, please contact us at arowley@imsa.edu.

When purchasing, please select if you will be attending the in-person professional development at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, IL, or virtual, asynchronous professional development for each Unit of Study.

Step 3: Purchase materials from the list provided in Canvas or through Flinn Scientific.

TopicsGrade levelsIn-Person PD DateIn-Person PD Time
What's the Story, Data?3rd-5thAugust 3rd8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Medieval STEM6th-8th
August 1st8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Material Science: Living in a Material World6th-8thJuly 27th8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Climate Change: the Future is Now3rd-5thAugust 1st8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Out of the Silo: Agronomic STEM6th-8thAugust 3rd8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Mars: Manifest Destiny6th-8th
August 2nd8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Organized Sound: STEM in Music3rd-5th
July 26th8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Take Flight6th-8thJuly 25th8:30 am - 3:30 pm
You Be the Judge3rd-5thJuly 24th8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Synthetic Score Card: Biotechnology3rd-5thJuly 25th8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Fighting Fire with STEM3rd-5th
August 2nd8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Biological Toolkit6th-8th
July 26th8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Engineering: Design and Build3rd-5th
July 27th8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Dive In: Oceanographic STEM3rd-5thJuly 31st
8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Secret Communications6th-8thJuly 31st8:30 am - 3:30 pm