In 2015, Math Corps Philadelphia launched its Super Saturday Math and Summer Math Camp.

Math Corps Philadelphia’s goal

Transcend the math achievement gap for 30 Philadelphia middle school students.

By transcend, we mean

in math achievement.

At our 4 week 2015 summer camp, median math scores went from 59% to 87%.

in life achievement skills:

*Resilience & grit *Post-traumatic growth *Service to others & community

F to A significant improvement

Competitors

Philadelphia has many after-school, STEM, and college prep programs for youth.

Closest to us are the following:

Breakthrough of Greater PhiladelphiaDrexel’s Lindy Scholars

Unique is that we accept students of all levels of math ability (not just the best students) and desire students who “need us.”

Math Corps at Wayne State (Detroit) is our model and inspiration.We excel using their innovations.

* “best math curriculum I’ve seen”--David Shen

* core values of hard work & high standards wedded to selection by need

* a belief in the unique greatness of each child embedded in a learned culture of love & compassion

More Math Corps Detroit innovations

*each high school teaching assistant (TA) teaches & becomes Big Brother/Sister to 2 middle school students (a 1 to 2 teaching ratio)

*long term perspective: students year after year return with many becoming TA’s and later undergrad CI’s

*a family overcoming obstacles together

We add 2 innovations.

Positive Psychology curriculum:

*resilience & grit *post-traumatic growth

Fun Math:tapping creativity & joy

in math

At our 2015 summer camp, our students’ median scores improved from 59% to 87%.We aspire to the same high school graduation and college entrance rates as Math Corps Detroit.

Math Corps Detroit has 23 years of success. Its students go from 30% to 90% in math achievement,with 90% graduating from high school and 80% entering college.

In 2015, middle school students came from 11 schools.Most TA’s came from public magnets, including CAPA, Central H.S. & Science Leadership Academy.

This year the Philadelphia Home & School Council and Parent Resource Center recruited for us.

Breakthrough opened their pool of middle and high school students to us.

Founders

Nneka Kirkland – Education Entrepreneur

Chalon Downs – Adjunct Science Instructor

David Shen – Education Visionary

In 2015, 2 Quaker Meetings granted $3,430 and 76 individuals gave $7,120.

With our new 501c3 status, for 2016, we have targeted 24 Philadelphia charitable funds focused on low income, minority, STEM and/or innovative education projects.

Finances – Income Statement

The Future

We wish to grow to 60 middle school students by 2017. Charitable funders will sustain us.

Last November, the 4 Math Corps—Detroit, Cleveland, Utica & Philadelphia—applied to NSF for a $3M, 3 years research grant. Once approved, its research will show the efficacy of the Math Corps model. With that research, the Math Corps will approach the Gates Foundation.

Our dream is more Math Corps.