A free mentoring program for Indigenous students in the Boston area.
The Math | Culture | Environment Academy is an academic mentoring program that serves Native American and Indigenous youth in the Boston area.
Research shows that to successfully engage Native American students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, it is important to ground their academic curriculum in Indigenous knowledge and practices. Though math is the most significant gate-keeper for youth who want to enter into the sciences, it can also be a challenging subject for many students. M|C|E 2014-5 was supported by the USDA Forest Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the MIT Institute Community Equity Officer, and private donars. Thank you~!
Our goal is to help Indigenous youth excel in the classroom and beyond starting with math.
During eight-week sessions, we pair a team of Indigenous college mentors, young professionals, and community elders with students between 3 and 18 years old for instruction and cultural and personal development activities. Each MCE Academy day begins with math instruction and concludes with a variety of activities, including college visits, bike lab, field trips, cooking lessons, drumming, basketry, beading workshops, and more. The morning math curriculum remediates the barrier to entry into STEM fields, and the afternoon complements the math instruction by engaging the students with their community and showing them science pathways to success. Math mornings for ages 3-10 are based on the Math Pod curriculum and for ages 11-18 years on preparation for high-stakes assessment and placement exams. To find out about enrolling your child or to become a mentor or volunteer go here~!