University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students and Department of Mathematics faculty shared their love of all things math with the students at Moanalua Middle School as part of the school’s Summer Math Enrichment Program in June 2024. They led in-person and virtual activities that included estimating the number of grains of sand in Hawaiʻi’s beaches, making genki balls that clean and revitalize polluted water bodies, and a deep dive into the data-driven modeling for the spread of COVID-19 virus during the pandemic.
More than 34 students participated in the program led by Department of Education teacher Sherry Cassetta.
Programs like this are crucial for boosting students’ confidence and proficiency in math and is foundational for their academic success, according to UH Mānoa Professor Monique Chyba. The curriculum designed for this enrichment program was inspired by the newly restructured quantitative reasoning Math 100 course offered at UH Mānoa.
“Early intervention helps bridge gaps in understanding, ensuring students are better prepared for advanced courses. Additionally, the program fosters a positive attitude towards learning and problem-solving,” Chyba said. “This initiative is an example of the university’s commitment to community outreach and the importance of nurturing young minds in STEM fields.”
The students visited UH Mānoa on June 12 for lessons and activities—an up-close opportunity to see what it’s like to be a college student for a day. Department of Mathematics Associate Professor Yuriy Mileyko welcomed the students in Keller 302 where they proceeded to their daily math activity in this university environment. They also visited the Hawaiʻi Corrosion Laboratory, spoke to researchers and capped off the day with a campus tour and visiting the Japanese garden.
“The university students made math more interesting for me by showing me that math is applicable to everyday things,” said 7th grade student Aimee Masuda.
7th grade student Aria Elefante added, “It was really fun learning about how to break down large word equations into smaller parts and also learning how many grains of sand in one area by estimating.”
“As a teacher, I can only bring so much to the table,” Cassetta said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the UH Mānoa Department of Mathematics and STEM Pre-Academy, an experience that uniquely nurtured studentsʻ curiosity and will pave the way for future academic success.”
The lessons and activities were led by UH Mānoa undergraduate student Ticiana Sprok and mathematics graduate student Tanner Johnson. The program was held in collaboration between the UH Mānoa Department of Mathematics and the UH STEM Pre-Academy, housed in the UH Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.
“Collaborating with Dr. Chyba and her team provided an opportunity for middle school students to learn from real-world application materials developed by faculty and UH students to help prepare them for success in the classroom for the incoming school year,” said Davin Sasaki, STEM Pre-Academy Program Manager.
If schools are interested in participating in programs like this, contact Davin Sasaki at sasakidy@hawaii.edu.
