Elite STEM High School Opens First Chicago Hub at UChicago

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, the state's premier public high school for gifted STEM students, just planted roots in Chicago's growing South Side innovation scene.

The school opened its first Chicago-based office at Hyde Park Labs, nestled inside the University of Chicago Science Incubator. It's a move that places advanced high schoolers shoulder-to-shoulder with actual scientists, entrepreneurs, and early-stage tech companies turning research into real products.

IMSA will station a full-time staff member at the Hyde Park location to coordinate internships and hands-on learning experiences for students. These aren't just campus tours or job shadows. Students will work directly with science-based startups, getting their hands dirty with genuine innovation projects.

The partnership opens doors that don't typically swing open for high schoolers. IMSA students will have proximity to university researchers, company founders, and industry partners working at the frontier of science commercialization. That means teenagers can contribute to projects that might become tomorrow's medical breakthroughs or environmental solutions.

"We're creating a powerful bridge between public STEM education and real-world innovation," said Samir Mayekar, managing director of UChicago's Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The collaboration strengthens the South Side's innovation ecosystem while giving students experiences that could shape their entire careers.

For IMSA, the Chicago presence extends beyond its own students. The school runs STEM enrichment programs for K-12 students across Chicago, and the new office gives them a professional hub to expand that reach. More young people, particularly from underserved communities, can access high-level science education and mentorship.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership shows what happens when elite educational institutions open their doors wider instead of building higher walls. IMSA students gain access to opportunities typically reserved for graduate students or young professionals. Meanwhile, South Side startups get energetic young minds eager to contribute fresh perspectives.

The collaboration also signals growing momentum for Chicago's South Side as a serious innovation hub. When a prestigious statewide institution chooses Hyde Park for its first Chicago office, it's a vote of confidence in the neighborhood's scientific future. That attracts more talent, more funding, and more opportunities for local students who might never have considered careers in science entrepreneurship.

Chicago K-12 students now have clearer pathways into advanced STEM education and real-world innovation experience, all without leaving their city. The next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs might just get their start in a Hyde Park incubator, inspired by seeing what's possible when talent meets opportunity.

IMSA President Evan Glazer sees the partnership as a way to work directly with innovators and inspiring role models who can show students what STEM careers actually look like. Sometimes the best classroom is a startup racing to solve real problems.

The future of Illinois innovation just got a whole lot brighter, and it's happening on Chicago's South Side.