Our department recognizes that science is fundamentally important for multiple reasons and we craft our curriculum and instructional practices by deliberately focusing on the following key ideas:

• Understanding the natural world: Science provides systematic methods to explore and understand the physical universe, enabling us to comprehend the laws and principles that govern our surroundings.
   
• Problem-solving: The scientific method is a rigorously tested approach that helps us solve complex challenges, from medical issues to technological barriers, by employing observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, and analysis.
   
• Innovation and technology: Advances in science often lead to technological improvements that enhance our quality of life, from health care and medicine to transportation and communication.
   
• Informed decision-making: Scientific knowledge allows individuals and policymakers to make better-informed decisions about public health, environmental concerns, and resource management.
   
• Economic development: Research and development driven by scientific discovery can create new industries, jobs, and economic growth, contributing to the prosperity and stability of societies.
   
• Critical thinking: Science fosters skepticism and critical thinking by encouraging the questioning of assumptions and reliance on evidence and logic.
   
• Global challenges: Science plays a crucial role in addressing global issues such as climate change, pandemics, and sustainability, providing the means to develop strategies and solutions at both local and global scales.
   
• Education: Teaching science promotes literacy in key areas, prepares the next generation for the job market, and produces future scientists who will continue to drive progress.
   
• Public health: Scientific research in biology, chemistry, and medicine leads to vaccinations, treatments, and preventative measures that save millions of lives and improve health outcomes.
   
• Long-term survival: Science equips humanity with the knowledge to navigate existential risks, be it from disasters, diseases, or potentially even threats from outer space.
   

In essence, we believe that science is the backbone of contemporary society, facilitating our understanding of the world, empowering the creation of new technologies, and improving overall life across the planet. It is through science that we have achieved remarkable feats and continue to push the boundaries of what is possible.