Math Mentors/Coaches Project

This web page describes the Team Battelle Math Mentors/Coaches (TBMMC) project and is primarily intended for use by Battelle staff, although others may find information of interest here.  A summary of the purpose and activities of the TBMMC project is given here.  An expanded discussion of general goals, approaches, and issues pertaining to this project is also available.  See the FAQ for answers to common questions and some resources.  A list of known opportunities for volunteering and a schedule of events/math contests provides an overview of the current school year.  For information on recent and upcoming events/activities, see the News page.

Purpose

The objective of this Team Battelle project is to promote an increased level of comfort with math and/or to foster excitement about math in elementary/middle/high school students through several types of activities.  The intent is to capitalize on the wealth of technically adept people that PNNL attracts and provide a useful service for local area schools through volunteer work.

Motivation and Issues

The motivation for this project is 1) a desire to counteract the tendency for students to let math (and thus science/engineering) fall by the wayside, especially as they go through middle school and 2) a desire to see that students have an opportunity to explore math (e.g., in Math Club activities or math competitions).  Key issues with implementing a math club include 1) having a math mentor/coach to lead the activities, 2) transportation to/from math competitions or club meetings,3) evoking student interest, and 4) funding for math competitions/activities.  This Team Battelle project can assist directly with the first item and indirectly with others.

Roles and Activities

The two areas where volunteers have been most effective are as math club coaches/mentors and as staff to help run local math contests (i.e., as proctors/invigilators or back-room staff).  Math coaches would typically meet weekly with students throughout the school year.  We typically run several contests (2-5 hours) as discrete events during a school year, with the three big ones being Math Is Cool events in February, March, and April.  Other activities include tutoring, guest speaking, writing problems for contests, and conducting workshops.  See the current year page for a description of known opportunities/needs and schedule of activities.  Roles for volunteers are described further on the project details page.

Contact

Chris Johnson      Tel.: (509) 371-7096