# Opportunities for K-12 Students

## You are here

Almost all outreach activities are directed by Dr. Mary Ann Huntley.  Please contact her for more information or help, unless a program has another point of contact listed.

Dr. Mary Ann Huntley
Director of Mathematics Outreach and K-12 Education Activities
huntley@math.cornell.edu
607-255-5529

## Ithaca High School Math Seminar (Grades 10-12)

The Math Seminar at Ithaca High School provides advanced mathematics instruction for students who have exhausted (or nearly exhausted) the high-school mathematics curriculum. The purpose of the seminar, which meets at the high school during school hours, is to introduce students to topics that they would typically not see until their junior or senior year in college and to encourage more high school students to major in mathematics when they go to college.

Over the course of the academic year, the seminar consists of three graduate students introducing topics related to their research interests and then guiding students in the development of their own end-of-term research projects. While by no means new research, the projects enable the high-school students to explore topics of interest.

The Math Seminar was developed and conducted for several years with NSF funding. It is currently funded by the Mathematics Department and the Center for Applied Mathematics.

See recent coverage in the Cornell Chronicle - 2015, 2016.

## Math Explorer's Club (Grades 8-12)

The Math Explorer's Club (MEC) consists of a sequence of lessons, led by graduate students and facilitated by undergraduate students, that introduce new mathematical concepts and problem-solving strategies to grades 8-12 students.  Lessons are designed to be interactive, providing opportunities for participants to ask and refine questions, develop ideas and definitions, and solve problems cooperatively.  Students are encouraged to share what they have learned with the general public by creating a presentation or poster based on their experience.

We implement one or two Math Explorer's Club modules on the Cornell campus each semester.  Students can expect interactive lessons taught in a cooperative and supportive learning environment = lots of fun!

See recent coverage in the Cornell Chronicle.

Next Offering

Dates:  Sept. 28 & Oct. 5, 2019

Location:  532 Malott Hall

Instructors:  Prairie Wentworth-Nice & Emily Dautenhahn

About the Instructors:  Prairie is a 2nd year math graduate student interested in combinatorics. When not doing math, she can be found taking ballet classes or dancing around the math building. Emily is another 2nd year math graduate student, and she is interested in analysis and probability. When she leaves the math building, Emily can be found running, crocheting, or reading a book.

Previous Offerings

Background:  The content that is taught in Math Explorer's Club is based on a collection of modules that was developed by graduate students through support from the National Science Foundation.

## Math Clubs & Circles (Grades K-12)

The Department of Mathematics at Cornell University supports several local math clubs and circles.  Some math clubs and circles have been in existence since the 1990s, and others are just being formed.  Underlying each club are the following two goals:  to stimulate students' interest in mathematics, and to develop students' problem-solving skills.  At some sites, students engage in recreational mathematics; at others, students are coached for math competitions, such as AMC8, Math Counts, and MOEMS (Math Olympiad for Elementary and Middle Schools).

The Girls' Math Circle at Cornell offers girls a fun, intimate, and socially comfortable environment to explore mathematics, and building math competence with other like-minded girls.  Preparing for math competitions is one focus of the weekly meetings.  Girls' Math Circle is divided into three groupings:

1. Maria Agnesi Cohort (upper elementary)
3. Maryam Mirzakhani Cohort (senior)

If you are a teacher, school administrator, or parent who is interested in starting a club, contact Mary Ann Huntley.

NOTE:  Clubs are now forming for 2019-2020.  Information in the following table will be updated as it becomes available.

### Contact Person

Little Circle K-2 Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 pm Dr. Inna Zakharevich

Belle Sherman Elementary School Math Club

4-5 Day of Week TBD
2:10-3:00 pm
Dr. Tom Fisher-York

Cayuga Heights Elementary School Math Olympiad Club

4-5

TBD

Dr. Laura Jones

Northeast Elementary School Math Circle 4-5 TBD TBD
South Hill Elementary School Math Hawks 4-5 Tuesdays
2:10-3:00 pm
Dr. Henrik Spoon
Boynton Middle School Math Club 6-8 Day of Week TBD
3:30-5:00 pm
Dr. Allen Knutsen
DeWitt Middle School Math Club 6-8 Fridays
3:30-4:30 pm
Girls' Math Circle at Cornell 5-12 TBD Dr. Laura Jones

Other local math clubs that are not affiliated with Cornell University are listed below.

### Contact Person

Northeast Elementary School Math Circle 4-5 TBD Ms. Eglantina Lucio-Belbase
Math Adventures at Boynton Middle School 6-8 TBD Dr. Cristina Gomez

## Math Tutoring

Mary Ann Huntley organizes mathematics tutoring at local schools, community centers, and other sites around the region. Tutoring takes place in a variety of formats (e.g., in-class tutoring, after-school tutoring, one-on-one). Volunteer (unpaid) tutors include undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty.  Please contact Mary Ann Huntley for more information.

Staff in the Department of Mathematics maintains a list of people who are interested in offering private mathematics tutoring for an hourly rate. Tutors arrange their own schedules and negotiate rates directly with families.  Please contact Mary Ann Huntley for more information.

## GAIM: Girls' Activities in Math (Grades 3-8 girls)

Girls' Adventures in Math (GAIM) is a comic-based math competition that each year features four women who have made substantial contributions to the fields of mathematics and science.  The event begins with a 60-minute, 16-question Round 1 and a 20 minute research question Round 2, followed by strategy games.  Teams of four students from the same school compete in one of two divisions: Upper Elementary, for grades 3-5, and Middle, for grades 6-8.

GAIM - Spring 2019
Sunday, April 28, 2019
2:30 - 5:30 PM
Cornell University, Duffield Hall
$79 per team, financial aid available More Information ## Mathematics Competitions (Grades 9-12) The Cornell Mathematics Department supports local students in a variety of math competitions. Graduate students are involved in coaching the students in preparing for the competitions. In February, the Mathematics Department often hosts the American Mathematics Contents (AMC) 10B and 12B sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America. 2019 AMC 10B/12B Competition Wednesday, February 13, 2019 Arrive by 4:15 PM, exam begins promptly at 4:30 PM and ends at 5:45 PM Cornell University, Malott 406 Cost:$10 per student
Registration (required):  https://goo.gl/forms/nZb504bfqngWJXoX2
Practice Materials:   https://www.maa.org/math-competitions/amc-1012

## Math Discovery Workshops (Grades 2-5)

Hands-on activities that engage students in mathematics.

• Gr. 3:  Shapes and numbers, including figuring out the number of dots in various triangles, finding primes, and verifying Goldbach's Conjecture up to 38
• Gr. 4:  Building tetrahedon, cube, and octahedon, and discovering Euler's formula
• Gr. 5:  Probability and statistics of rolling 1, 2, and 4 number cubes