Research, Inquiry Skills & Experimentation (RISE) – Registration opens Fall 2025

Dive into the world of science with IMSA’s Research, Inquiry Skills, and Experimentation (RISE) Program. If you’re a 9th-12th grade student looking for new ways to challenge yourself and explore unanswered scientific questions, RISE is your chance to find answers through your own scientific research. In the year-long RISE program, you’ll collaborate with mentors and scholars who can help you study the topic of your choice. This online, mostly asynchronous course will also allow you to showcase your findings at various science symposia in the spring. By the end of RISE, you will have gained valuable skills in researching, writing, and presenting your findings that can catapult your scientific exploration to the next level. If you’re ready to take your passion for science to the next level, RISE is the program for you! *The RISE curriculum aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), College Readiness Standards, and Common Core Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects.

---

Program Specifics

The RISE Program is a rigorous, non-credit-bearing online research experience for students in grades 9-12, designed to be as challenging as an advanced high school or college-level course. Participants are expected to work daily on project goals, conducting research at home, school, or a local lab.

Program Dates:

• Start: October 

• End: Late May 

Program Details:

• Format: The program is fully online, with most work completed asynchronously on IMSA’s Canvas platform. While the work is asynchronous, participants must follow strict deadlines.
• Cost & Registration: The cost is $1,280. Limited spots are available, and students must register to reserve their place. See below for scholarship information. 
• Technology Requirements: Students need regular access to a computer with reliable internet.
• Mentorship & Lab Space: Participants must secure a research mentor and lab space (if needed), with guidance from RISE instructors provided early in the program. IMSA can not provide a mentor or lab space.

Program Structure:

• Weekly Office Hours: Students are required to attend one weekly Zoom session. These sessions are offered at various times to accommodate students’ schedules. 
• Assignments: Students must meet the firm deadlines provided by the RISE instructor. The program has a significant writing component, with research papers due in January. Students will receive extensive feedback from instructors, mentors, and librarians, with required revisions to be submitted within 48 hours. Failing to meet three assignment deadlines will result in removal from the program without a refund.
• Projects: January and February are dedicated to preparing for science competitions, including formal presentations at various symposia. Students will write a formal research paper, create a research poster, and prepare an oral presentation for science symposia in the spring semester. All projects must meet the IJAS guidelines for experiments and presentations. 
• Completion: Participants who successfully complete the course will earn a certificate of completion from IMSA and gain invaluable experience in conducting original research and presenting scientific findings to experts. 

RISE Scholarships

Scholarships for the RISE program are available based on financial need, not academic performance, through the support of the IMSA Fund for Advancement of Education.

• Eligibility: Based on Federal Free or Reduced Lunch Program or SNAP guidelines. Submit school or government documentation, or a recent tax return, to verify eligibility.
• Administrative Fee: Scholarship recipients must pay a $150 fee. Those who complete the program will receive a $100 refund. A W-9 form is required for the refund.
• Important: Applying for a scholarship does not guarantee an award or program registration. Do not pay for registration if applying for a scholarship.

Keep an eye on your email for award notifications, including your spam folder. Contact us at studentenrichment@imsa.edu for any assistance.

Refund Policy 

• Full Refund (minus the $100 fee): Requests for refunds will be honored through mid-September.
• Partial Refund (50%): Requests made through the end of September, may receive a 50% refund (less the $100 fee), considered on a case-by-case basis.
• No Refunds: After September 30, no refunds or cancellations will be accommodated.

To Request a Refund: Submit a written request via email to studentenrichment@imsa.edu, including the program name and your student’s full name.

IMSA STEM League received the 2020 Innovative Student Program of the Year award from the National Consortium Secondary STEM Schools (NCSSS).

 

 

Spring 2025: STEM League – Neuroscience

Thanks to modern technology, we can now study the nervous system in ways that would have been unimaginable mere decades ago. All of these recently-gained capabilities have greatly accelerated the expansion of the field of neuroscience, with new discoveries being made every day. This course will provide students with an integrated foundation for understanding the complex functions of the nervous system and, in particular, the brain. Basic principles of neurobiology will be discussed to develop an understanding of how these biological factors are associated with human behaviors.

We will be reading the book The Brain: The Story of You by acclaimed neuroscientist David Eagleman. Through a series of engaging anecdotes and thought-provoking commentary, this book introduces key ideas and explanations on how the human brain develops, how our senses and perceptive abilities develop and can change over time, why we are such social beings, and how environmental influences can influence our actions and decision-making. The book will be supplemented with additional resources (videos, original research, etc.) to help provide further context and perspective for the scientific concepts presented in the book.

The estimated time commitment for this program 2-3 hours per week. Synchronous meetings – (optional but encouraged and recorded) – will take place every week via Zoom on Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30 pm C.S.T., with open/drop-in office hours via Zoom on Tuesdays from 4:30-5:30 pm C.S.T. or by appointment.