- A foundational math lesson/activity booklet based on a real-world theme to show relevance and create excitement
- 3-5 items (including at least one Screen-Free activity or manipulative) to make the lesson engaging and fun (Items will differ from month-to-month)
- An affirmation to strengthen her math confidence
- A profile of a bwoman mathematician to show representation and develop her math identity (her ability to see herself as a learner and doer of math)
- A Caring Adult Guide to help YOU help her maximize her box experience (you do NOT have to be a math whiz to help her enjoy the Black Girl MATHgic Box! Commitment is all you need.)
Furthermore, math is the foundation of STEM. STEM is a term that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. According to the National Science Foundation, to succeed in our new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEM to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past. This is impossible to do without math. Math is considered the ‘gatekeeper’ to STEM because it is naturally present in ALL STEM subjects (think Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, etc.). Therefore, building math confidence in children from an early age is a must. W With salaries in STEM careers starting at $62,000, having a solid foundation in math can set up our kids up for a financially stable adulthood. Even if they are not interested in pursuing a STEM major or career, we all need reasonably good math skills to move through life and be productive members of society.
Among U.S. students who score the same on math achievement tests, girls are less confident in their math ability than boys are. That confidence predicts who goes on to major in math-heavy fields like engineering and computer science. The gender gap varies across STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math. Yet, women remain underrepresented in high-earning and high-demand fields that require the most math skills, such as engineering and physics. (Source)
Knowing this, we wanted to create an experience that helps build our girls’ math confidence and shows them that math is just as much for them as it is for boys.
We are actively working on a boy box, but we knew with this glaring data (and from our own experiences working with girls), that we had to get the girls going first. We believe that when we solve for those who have historically been overlooked, underrepresented or left behind, everyone wins.
- Why Math and STEM Education Is A Social Justice Issue
- The key to fixing the gender gap in math and science: Boost women's confidence.
- STEM Education Has A Math Anxiety Problem
- What Is Math Anxiety? A New Study Says That Racial & Gender Bias Around Math Ability Has Mental Health Consequences
- The Underrepresentation of African American Female Students in STEM Fields: Implications for Classroom Teachers
- The Invisibility of Black Girls in Mathematics