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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
