On Wednesday, May 21, more than 300 high school students from the high school Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly), family members, teachers, and faculty and staff from area universities filled a hall at Loyola University Maryland for the Ingenuity Project’s 2025 STEM Student Research Symposium. Poly students presented research they had completed as part of the Ingenuity Project, UMBC mathematics and statistics majors presented educational workshops, and UMBC faculty and staff were on site to discuss their research and opportunities at UMBC.
The Ingenuity Project is a premier STEM program at Poly, a top-tier, STEM-focused high school in Baltimore City. Ingenuity prepares highly motivated students for success in college and beyond with a rigorous STEM curriculum, including independent research. Ingenuity students have earned over $27 million in scholarships since the program’s launch in 1997.
Two years ago, UMBC’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics recognized a unique opportunity to engage with these talented students, sparking a partnership that has flourished through shared goals and hands-on collaboration. UMBC’s College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Summer Enrichment Academy, College of Engineering and IT, and Meyerhoff Scholars Program also participated in the research symposium, either in person or through financial support.
Ingenuity and commitment to student success
“Our partnership with Ingenuity has allowed us to interact with some truly exceptional students and share the wonder of higher mathematics,” says Justin Webster, associate professor of mathematics and a lead liaison between UMBC and Poly. “The diverse collection of mathematically gifted students at Ingenuity is truly amazing.”
Those interactions go well beyond the research symposium. This semester alone, UMBC faculty visited the Ingenuity program at Poly three times, engaging with students through the Math Modeling Club and offering guidance in Poly’s Research Methods course. The department hosted 21 Ingenuity students at UMBC for the first-ever Math and Stat Visitation Day. They toured the campus, shared lunch with faculty and undergraduates, and sat in on mathematics lectures, gaining a firsthand look at college-level STEM education.
“Our partnership with UMBC is an invaluable asset to the Ingenuity Project, and we are so grateful for their ongoing collaboration and support,” shared Lisette Morris, executive director for the Ingenuity Project. “Their generous sponsorship and support of both the Leadership Conference and the Research Symposium truly helped make this year’s events a tremendous success, empowering nearly 300 young scholars to explore and showcase their passion for STEM.”
For Webster, who lives less than a mile from Poly, the partnership is also personal.
“As a Baltimore City resident, getting to share the beauty of higher math with these students—both at Poly and on UMBC’s campus—has been a privilege,” he says. “It’s just deeply rewarding to work with such talented young minds.”
This collaboration strengthens ties with the local community, creating a pipeline for future STEM leaders. By fostering these connections, UMBC and Poly are building a future full of opportunity for Baltimore’s brightest.
Tags: Baltimore City, CNMS, COEIT, ecep, Mathematics and Statistics
