On most days, the lecture hall remains empty during the school day. However, for the IB diploma program, the room becomes a center for learning for a full day each year, a collaborative effort where different sciences come together: the Group 4 project.

“I think the Group 4 allows students an opportunity to collaborate in a theoretical and abstract way,” IB coordinator Andi Brosche said. “It affords them a chance to put what they know about the sciences to use in a low-risk environment. Many students in the science are never allowed the creative license that such a project affords.”

The project takes all IB juniors into the lecture hall for an entire school day, where the students split randomly into groups that usually have one student from each of the IB sciences: biology, chemistry, physics and computer science.

“The combining of the sciences allowed us to see our own progress as well as the progress of our peers,” junior Laura Huynh said. “It was cool to see the different approaches my team members had and what ideas they could bring to the table based on their individual studies, classes and specialties.”

Each year, the Group 4 project gives the junior class a different problem to solve. Last year, juniors had to figure out how to survive on Mars in a situation similar to “The Martian.” This year, however, groups had 75 years to evacuate Earth and had to come up with a plan to perpetuate the existence of mankind in face of an impending neutron star.

“I enjoyed having to think of all the possible ways we would be able to save mankind,” junior Carlos Perez said. “Everyone had so many different ideas and unique ways that I never would have though of. It was a great experience that I’m glad I was able to be a part of.”