SCIENCE + ENGINEERING

CURRICULUM | MISSION GOALS | CONTESTS  & COLLEGES | WHAT’S NEW

University Middle School: Hot-air balloon demonstration.

In the Irvington Public Schools, we believe that science education must go beyond philosophy and beyond isolated facts—it must unite curiosity with evidence and transform knowledge into action. Guided by the conviction that data grounds science in reality, our department integrates rigorous inquiry, real-world application, and climate literacy into every corner of the student experience.

In response to the evolving needs of our world and workforce, the Irvington Public Schools Science and Engineering Department is proud to expand our offerings through our growing STEAM Academies. These academies provide students with dynamic pathways to explore biomedical science, engineering, and computer science, equipping them with the interdisciplinary skills essential for solving complex, real-world problems.

Through hands-on experiences, collaborative design challenges, and project-based learning, students gain exposure to cutting-edge fields while developing fluency in data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Whether they are modeling disease outbreaks in biomedical science, engineering sustainable systems, or coding solutions to community challenges, students learn to view data as both a tool and a catalyst for innovation.

Our STEAM expansion reflects a deep commitment to ensuring every student has the opportunity to pursue high-impact, high-opportunity careers—guided by curiosity, grounded in science, and empowered by data.

To bring learning to life, we offer immersive experiences that extend beyond the classroom. As part of our mission to unite environmental science with action, we are proud to partner with Groundwork Elizabeth in establishing a microforest at Irvington High School. This living lab will not only serve as a green space for the community but also provide rich opportunities for students to engage in field-based ecological research, monitor environmental change, and explore urban reforestation as a climate solution. Through this collaboration, students will connect classroom learning to environmental stewardship, strengthening both their scientific literacy and their sense of civic responsibility. Our Air Quality Monitoring Program at Irvington High School made possible through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, field investigations at the Meadowlands Environment Center and The Great Swamp, and our participation in the Ramapo College Climate Change Learning Collaborative give students firsthand opportunities to collect, interpret, and act on environmental data in their own communities.

Our commitment also extends to preparing students to become leaders in environmental advocacy and future innovators in STEM. Through partnerships with Students 2 Science, Project Lead the Way, SIEMENS, and the American Chemical Society, we equip learners with both scientific acumen and ethical responsibility. Dual enrollment programs with Essex County College (ECC) and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) offer pathways for advanced learning and college credit, while partnerships with SIEMENS, the FAA, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, OBAP, Liberty Science Center, and others provide direct exposure to STEM careers and mentorship.

We acknowledge our past valued partners, such as Constellation Energy and Excelon Corporation, which helped launch our first engineering course—we are building a science and engineering program that is data-driven, inquiry-based, and future-focused.

At Irvington, science is not just taught—it is practiced, questioned, and lived. By teaching students to pair scientific thinking with data fluency, we prepare them not only to understand the world but to improve it.

Join us in our mission to raise a generation of scientifically literate, ethically aware, and empowered problem-solvers—ready to turn science into solutions and facts into action.