Bowling Green Math Scholars Camp thrives in second year with support from Jessie Ball duPont Fund

For 36 elementary students, a summer adventure with the Bowling Green Math Scholars Camp made learning new things an irresistible challenge. From exploring LEGO robotics and 3D modeling, to learning about computer programming and problem-solving, these two weeks of hands-on learning also included individualized mathematics content for each student.

“I loved how instead of making the problem easy, you made it hard,” said one camper to a teacher. “I loved that everybody tried hard and didn’t give up.”

Held July 8-19, the Bowling Green Math Scholars Camp was a partnership between educators from the School of Teacher Education in the College of Education & Behavioral Sciences and administrators of the Bowling Green Independent School District, with support from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. In its second year, the two-week camp was designed for students from T.C. Cherry, Parker-Bennett-Curry, Dishman McGinnis elementary schools who displayed high aptitude in math.

Research has shown that if students take Algebra I by the 8th grade, their chances of attending college are significantly improved. After noticing that few students from these schools were taking advanced- or Algebra-level math when they entered junior high in the 6th grade, District administrators approached educators in the School of Teacher Education at WKU to help identify and serve students at the elementary school level who may show potential for advanced math. From this, the Bowling Green Math Scholars Camp was born.

“It’s super important that gifted kids know that there are other kids like them—people who can get their jokes and they can talk to,” said Dr. Toni Szymanski, Associate Professor in the School of Teacher Education and Director of the Math Scholars Camp. “Across the District, we want students to be able to find friends so that when they go to 6th grade, they see people that they know in their classes.”

“I think this is how mathematics should work in the classroom every day,” said Savannah Denning, a 4th grade teacher who worked at the camp last year and this year. “We overemphasize testing accountability throughout the school year, and this kind of learning gets pushed to the side. If there was a way to infuse this in our daily curriculum, that would be the ticket.”

Twenty students in 4th and 5th grades attended the inaugural camp in 2018, and 36 students participated this summer. Of the students who returned to camp for the second year, Denning said she can see an abundance of growth and maturity.

“They are ready to work when they come through the door,” said Denning. “Yes, they are having a good time, but these kids thrive having challenging work and being with peers who are just as capable as they are. It enhances their engagement having someone who can go toe-to-toe with them.”

The program also provides important hands-on training and teaching experience for WKU students who work as teaching assistants during the camp.

“I’ve always loved math and thought it sounded fun and exciting to challenge students,” said Gracie Baker (’18) who worked at the camp for both years. “When doing my student teaching, I often found myself teaching to students who were struggling, but this experience has taught me how to differentiate what I’m teaching among students with different skills. Working at this camp made me a lot more comfortable teaching, and I am thinking about how I can apply this experience to my own classroom with younger students.”

Aside from the success of learning new things shown through smiles and laughter, results from the first camp can be seen on paper: 2018 summer camp participants’ pre- and post-tests in math achievement increased by an average of 15 percent.

Initially funded in 2018 as a pilot program through a $69,850 grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, the Bowling Green Math Scholars Camp focused on increasing diverse student participation in gifted programs. In spring 2019, the duPont Fund awarded $40,900 to continue the camp for a second year and enhance efforts to show teachers ways to nurture talent development in their classrooms.

“The pilot program helped increase the number of students taking advanced math by allowing the students to see themselves as successful in math and to make connections with other advanced learners,” said Dr. Szymanski. “This year we are working with teachers in groups to provide methods of support to meet learner needs. At the end of the year, teachers will be able to demonstrate that they can recognize high potential in diverse learners and provide in-class opportunities for them to develop advanced math skills.”

In addition to the summer camp and professional development for teachers, students can participate in weekly after-school enrichment programs. In the 2018-2019 school year, 20 3rd through 5th grade students participated in after-school enrichment activities at Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School. Through hands-on problem-solving challenges like designing and building a catapult to shoot cereal the longest distance, those students increased their mathematics understanding by an average of 11 percent based on ALEKS Math reports. The after-school programs are being expanded to Dishman-McGinnis and T.C. Cherry elementary schools this year.

A peer mentoring component involves 6th grade students meeting weekly with Bowling Green High School students to work on math activities and discuss how to be successful in school was developed by Dr. Janet Tassell, Associate Professor in the WKU School of Teacher Education. Connecting with students already in high school improves the transition from elementary school to junior high school and then on to high school for these diverse, gifted learners.

“The program addresses an identified need in the community and provides important applied research learning opportunities for WKU educators and students,” said Dr. Szymanski. “We are so very thankful that the Jessie Ball duPont Fund believed in the program. The results we have already seen in just two years are wonderful, and we’re really excited about what we can accomplish next.”

When asked if they were enjoying camp, one camper exclaimed, “I want camp to be longer!”

For more information, contact Dr. Toni Szymanski at (270) 745-5414 or antonia.szymanski@wku.edu or Dr. Janet Tassell at janet.tassell@wku.edu.

Posted: July 23, 2019