Arvin ’25, provides free, in-person, community-driven math lessons to young students at a local library.
In New York, social and educational inequality is prevalent across neighborhoods, in educational subjects such as math. Lower-income areas often have fewer students proficient in math. Many students could greatly benefit from math coaching, but the high cost of in person classes is a large barrier. In addition, there are many online resources and teaching sessions, but they lack a sense of community. Due to these reasons, I decided to provide free, in-person, community-driven math lessons to young students held at a local library.
Finding available space was initially challenging. In early June, I reached out to every single library in my area, but the only one that worked out was in Jersey City, across the Hudson river. As of June 29, I have finished five sessions there, and I am also in touch with the manager at the Morningside library, and depending on availability, I will continue to work on that.
It was a new experience entering the library room in New Jersey for the first time. Fittingly, inscribed on the fireplace were the words “KNOWLEDGE IS POWER”. During the first session, I initially found it challenging to manage the rowdy students, but incorporating interactive lessons provided a fun and effective way for them to learn. One session, a student gave me a cupcake as a token of thanks. It was so exciting, seeing kids and parents so grateful for this learning opportunity. Designing the lesson plans was also an interesting challenge, and I have learned about teaching as much as they have learned about math.
By the end of the summer, my goal is to help students achieve a higher level of understanding in different math topics, beyond what is typically taught in school. This project has not only taught me how to support students but also taught me the importance of persistence through rejection. I hope that these sessions will provide valuable educational support to middle schoolers in my community.
