Inquiry, Maker, Passion Projects

Once paired with a mentor whose expertise aligns with their idea, students move through the IMPp Process—from research and concept development to pitching, making, iterating, and sharing. Each project begins with a literature review or discovery phase, followed by a project pitch, where students present their ideas to peers and mentors for feedback and approval. From there, they dive into building, coding, designing, experimenting, or writing—often recruiting classmates as collaborators along the way.

Our IMPp mentors include scientists, engineers, artists, writers, and entrepreneurs—experts in fields such as engineering, art, philosophy, electronic arts, lab science, computer science, game design, mathematics, woodworking, technology, music, journalism, creative writing, and marketing. Together, they guide students in authentic inquiry and creative production while modeling how professionals bring ideas to life.

Students learn to plan and manage complex projects, navigate real challenges, communicate their progress, and advocate for their ideas. For some, an early IMPp may last just a few weeks as they explore the process. For others, a passion evolves into a long-term, multi-year pursuit—building robots, writing novels, composing original music, inventing assistive devices, publishing research papers, or launching school initiatives.