By Natasha Chen
IMACS Public Relations
PLANTATION, Fla., July 13, 2017 – The Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science (IMACS) celebrates 25 years of serving talented children by awarding over $25,000 in a mix of scholarships to attend its South Florida after-school program or to enroll in its online courses. From humble beginnings of just 37 students in Plantation, IMACS has grown to include four South Florida learning centers and serves more than 4,500 students throughout the United States and in more than 15 countries.
IMACS President, Terry Kaufman, attributes the institute’s longevity and growth to parents’ concerns about education. “Many of our local families, as well as our online students, are actively looking for ways to develop the critical thinking skills needed in a rapidly modernizing world, and they are not finding that through traditional means,” Kaufman said. “At IMACS, our goal is for students to become better thinkers and problem solvers for the rest of their lives, not just for the next standardized test.”
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS), the sixth largest district in the US, recognizes the advantages of IMACS’ approach. In 2015, BCPS selected the institute’s Elements of Mathematics: Foundations (EMF) online program as full-time curriculum for the district’s top middle school math students. BCPS/EMF students earn high school credits in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry and Precalculus while in still in middle school, and are ready to take Advanced Placement Calculus in ninth grade.
IMACS’ focus on logical thinking and creative problem-solving has produced results for its graduates. Many go on to excel at top universities of their choice, including Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, MIT and Caltech, and are recruited by major tech companies such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft.
“IMACS taught me an organic approach to problem-solving, a way of thinking that demonstrates the necessary rigor required to solve genuinely challenging problems,” said RJ Antonello, an IMACS graduate. “The introduction to proofs and logic that I got at IMACS was absolutely critical to my success at Caltech.” RJ is double-majoring in computer science and philosophy and will be interning at Northrup Grumman this summer.
IMACS enrichment classes challenge students by ability level, not by age, using games, logic puzzles, virtual robotics, and other engaging activities. Through these challenges, students develop logical reasoning skills far beyond their most advanced peers. Local classes are for first through twelfth graders, while online courses serve primarily middle and high school students.
In addition to offering after-school, weekend and summer camp classes at its Plantation headquarters, IMACS operates centers in Boca Raton, Weston and Fort Lauderdale. Prestigious partner schools such as Pine Crest School, American Heritage School and University School of Nova Southeastern University offer IMACS classes on-site. For students who do not have access to a local IMACS center, select components of its highly acclaimed curriculum are available online at eimacs.com and emfmath.com.
To be entered in a scholarship raffle for local classes, prospective South Florida students may attend a free IMACS placement class any time between August 7th and September 30th. Parents may schedule a placement class by calling IMACS at 954.791.2333 or by reserving their spot at www.imacs.org.