The Advanced Institute for Mathematics and Sciences (AIMS) is an outreach effort that is essential to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) mission in central Indiana. In its first year, the goal is to enroll 48 students, 10 secondary school teachers, and four college professors.

Math and science majors’ academic success in college largely depends on the quality and quantity of their pre-college preparation in STEM courses. The implementation of AIMS supplements the math and science curriculum students learn in high school with high-level, hands-on teaching and learning.

Through AIMS, students entering 10th, 11th, and 12th grades will receive a combination of content training and hands-on experiences to ignite their interest to continue studying more advanced mathematics and science classes. Thus, secondary school students will be better prepared for and more excited about pursuing STEM careers.

The purpose of AIMS is to create a collaborative structure involving college faculty, STEM secondary school teachers, and technical and regulatory members of the corporate community.