Math Is Money

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Jada Martin is proud of her work at The Julia Robinson Math Festival

Written by Clarisa James & Dr. Usha Kotelawala 

When I was a child, I told my mother, “I hate Math!’, and she responded, “Math is money and you need to love it”. There was no escaping Math: in music lessons, in homework , a first job, life. In operating a youth organization that integrates the importance of social justice and STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts Math) we must provide holistic approaches to ensuring that ALL communities are given exposure and opportunities that will open their minds and lead to true economic justice.

Students from The Linden SDA School showed sincere enthusiasm at The Julia Robinson Math Festival

About 6 months ago, I met Dr. Usha Kotelawala. Dr. Kotelawala sat next to me at STEM Social Justice Committee meeting at The Pinkerton Foundation. She introduced herself to me and led with telling me about The Julia Robinson Math On The Border Program. Dr. Kotelawala  spoke passionately of how twice a week they provide interactive math games to children that are waiting in detention centers with their families. I was immediately taken by what she told and wanted us to work together. Like the work that Dr. Kotelawala does with the Julia Robinson Math Festival, DIVAS for Social Justice aims to serve underserved communities in the same holistic way.Our organizations are cut from the same cloth and understand the relevance of providing access to underserved communities. Dr. Kotelawala was inspired by her own childhood experience:

The students of Trey Whitifield enjoyed the Math Festival. Photo by Isaiah James
The students of The Trey Whitfield School enjoyed the festival. Photo by Isaiah James

In a middle income school district outside of Seattle I had one amazing elementary school teacher that regularly exposed his 4th grade students to the other side of doing mathematics.  We did logic puzzles, explored bases, and other activities that made playing with numbers fun. I was lucky to get one teacher like that. Most never get a math teacher like that. This may be even harder among districts or cities struggling to get teachers.  Children having a parent in a STEM field or just parents with more flexible time can often find more opportunities to take their students to special events. Underserved community schools may not have a teacher ready to run a math club. That is why it is critical for us to be aiming and serving underserved communities.  We need to expose these kids to the fun side of math that may inspire them to keep working at it. 

Dr. Kotelawala coaches two students in an activity as Mr. Pope of The Linden SDA School observes.

In the late summer, we organized our 1st Math Festival at our new Maker Space in Brooklyn and it was a success. I was amazed at how Usha , thirty minutes before the event  trained our staff in the activities. For me, witnessing that demystified some of the hang ups I have around Math. Everything was interactive and I couldn’t believe how engaged the students were.

Principal, Dr. Laurene Usher & an Educator encourage students to participate in the Math Festival- Linden SDA School

When asked why is it important to expose children to Math festivals, Dr. Kotelawala said:

The Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival founder, Nancy Blachman, summarizes this best, Children are taught to endure math class, not enjoy it. While most children like brain teasers, puzzles and games, the mathematics they encounter in school often consists of repetitive exercises.” While there is a place for the computational fluencies that come from practice, we need to be spending just as much as time broadening their perspectives on where logic puzzles and games and mathematical explorations can take them.”

 

In our partnership, we have co-hosted three festivals at: 

FORWARD, A Social Justice Makerspace For All

The Trey Whitfield School

The Linden SDA School

 

We are thankful for the dedication and support of The Principals Of The Linden SDA School and The Trey Whitfield School. They adjusted their lunch times to ensure that grades 3-8th grade could participate in the festival. In addition , JRMF provided volunteers to work with our students and trained our staff that include:

Shurjendu Dutt-Mazumdar 

Marta Torres 

Gautam Sachdev 

Juanny Nunez 

Meliq August

Collin Gayle

Damani Bobb

Pierre Percy

Tianna Tettis

We must continue to provide programming that not only challenges our communities but gives them hope for the future to see themselves as the change makers of their communities. DIVAS for Social Justice and The Julia Robinson Math Festival look forward to providing future festivals in Southeast Queens and Central Brooklyn.

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Clarisa James
Clarisa James is the Co-Founder/Executive Director of DIVAS (Digital Interactive Visual Arts Sciences) for Social Justice. For the past seven years DIVAS has provided free or sliding scale technology training to youth in underserved communities in Central Brooklyn and Southeast Queens. Ms. James has been dedicated to youth development work for the past 15years in the roles of Teaching Artist, After School Director, Curriculum Specialist and artist. Her life's work encompasses empowering youth in underserved communities to use technology for social change and think critically about the issues that are affecting them most. For the past seven years Ms. James has facilitated workshops that help youth develop multimedia projects around environmental justice, housing, leadership development and reproductive justice. Ms. James holds an MFA in Integrated Media Arts from Hunter College's Film & Media Department. In addition to DIVAS for Social Justice, Ms. James currently serves on the advisory board of the Children’s Cabinet, Office of the Deputy Mayor Strategic Policy Initiatives at City Hall. Clarisa James is full of gratitude to her parents for providing such a wonderful upbringing and having the foresight to move into the community of Laurelton in the early 1970's. Clarisa is proud to be a daughter of Laurelton.