Who We Are
Math is a key underpinning for many careers, particularly science and engineering. It is important not only to understand the mathematical concepts, but also how to solve problems and apply knowledge to new situations. The objective of this Team Battelle project is to increase the interest in (and comfort with) math amongst elementary/middle school students. One of the factors related to student involvement with math is the availability of a mentor/coach to lead activities. This project is looking to capitalize on the wealth of technically adept Battelle staff, by encouraging staff volunteers (and family members) to fill the role of a math mentor. This makes it possible to provide a venue for fostering comfort/interest and excitement about math through tutoring, enrichment activities that go beyond standard classroom topics, and/or participation in math competitions. You can volunteer regardless of your skill level at math. This is really about giving students an opportunity. To learn more about this project, visit: https://tbmmc.pnnl.gov/
What We Do
The following list describes potential roles for project volunteers.
- Math Team Coach – prepare students for math competitions and periodically do enrichment activities
- Math Team Assistant Coach – help the lead coach by working with a subset of students on math concepts and/or to prepare students for math competitions
- Math Club Mentor – engage students in enrichment activities (math games, movies, hands-on activities, discussion of math aspects that are interesting/cool, etc.) and prepare students to participate in one or two math competitions
- Math Tutor – provide help with concepts and homework in the context of the math class curriculum being studied and, as an aside, convey how and why math is useful in “real life” and even interesting in its own right
- Contest Proctor/Scorer/Supervisor – contribute to the operation of a math contest (e.g., Math Is Cool, WAMO, CMS Warm-up, scrimmages, etc.); could contribute as a “worker bee” or could go so far as to be a regional director for a contest
- Math Event Volunteer – contribute to the operation of math-related events (e.g., contests, Pi Day, Take Your Child to Work Day, Taste of Diversity, etc.) assisting the project director; generally a small commitment
- Guest Speaker – discuss how math pertains to the “real world,” how understanding math can lead to really interesting work, and/or how math helps people solve problems; typically the discussion would be in the context of your own work
- Problem Solvers/Writers – write problems for competitions (e.g., Math Is Cool) or enrichment activities, document solutions for problems that have only answers
Details
| (509) 371-7096 | |
| cd_johnson@pnnl.gov | |
| Chris Johnson | |
| Project Director | |
| https://tbmmc.pnnl.gov |
