Posted by Declining Education Remedied with Math Camps
Education is a tricky thing. We’ve seen a massive decline in STEM-oriented students in the past decade, and sometimes the reasons why are more complicated than just some statistic to point at. It’s important to examine in great detail why STEM interest has dropped, but we here at Areteem hope we can shed some light on why STEM has declined in the classroom and perhaps resolve the problems that have arisen because of declining interest.
There’s a very obvious demographic achievement gap with STEM class enrollment and attendance. The main demographic with STEM is the Caucasian or Asian male, and efforts to spread interest to widen the demographic have been difficult. A lot of reasons why women aren’t often involved in higher education revolving around math is likely due to cultural norms and gender roles, but involving students early in math-centric programs is a way to keep them grounded in learning and developing proper thinking skills. One such way to attract a wider demographic is enrolling students in math camps that combine camaraderie, challenging math courses, and, simply put, fun. It reminds students of the practical applications of math—you know, rocketry, robotics, space exploration, and other fields—that sparks inspiration to push forward in learning.
Math Competitions Can Ground Students in Learning
Another reason for declining involvement in STEM courses has to do with accessibility. Many teachers don’t often have the accessibly—or admittedly funds—to get students involved in heavy math-related courses. One of the best methods to get students more engaged in math is by registering a group of them through monthly math competitions (ours are free if teachers want to register their classes as a group). It’s a method that has worked well in the past to not only increase students’ time with math, but it widens the demographic and includes more students of diverse ethnic backgrounds and genders. Plus, there’s even annual math competitions that provide incentive for students with a monetary reward of two-thousand dollars—a wonderful boost towards paying off financial aid.
Whether its math camps or math competitions, the resources are there for teachers to ground their students in an education in STEM and to widen the demographic beyond the standard. We’d love to be behind the driving force that sees students rocket to new heights in learning. Contact us to learn more.
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