As a Jesuit institution, St. Louis U. High offers an academically distinguished program designed to challenge students to achieve their full potential. “Love of God, love of self, love of all things as coming from God, recognition of one’s place in creation, analysis and evaluation of what helps or hinders in achieving a life goal, inner freedom, self-discipline, choice, the desire to be better and to do more–these make up the First Principle and Foundation both of the Ignatian vision and of Jesuit education” (John J. Callahan, SJ, Discovering a Sacred World, 1997).

The Science department offerings at SLUH consist of a variety of courses designed to stimulate interest in the sciences. The goals of the department are to foster an appreciation for the intrinsic value of knowledge and to educate the students in both information and process. Central to this is the development of proficiency in terminologies, theories, and relationships, as well as the development of skills in laboratory techniques, observation, experimentation, scientific modeling, hypothesis testing, drawing conclusions, problem solving, and critical thinking. Students are taught about the vast uses and potential of technological devices; they use technology for data collection as well as analysis.

In studying the physical world and its phenomena the scientist’s point of view is not the only concern of the department. In the mass media on a nearly daily basis there are issues of scientific and technological developments that require information gathering, statements of problems, and the making of moral and ethical decisions. A student’s study of science better enables him to make these moral and ethical judgments in response to local, national, and international issues as they may affect humankind now and in the future. The desire is to develop students who can see the need for stewardship of the earth. Department members strive to model and encourage a love and appreciation of nature and our physical world.