Balance the Equation: Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science

Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science, in partnership with Howard University, in the U.S. will develop a program that teaches mathematics by applying it to the everyday lives of their female Black students in Washington DC, in order to spark their interest and improve their achievement scores and attitudes towards the subject. The abstract nature of mathematics lessons makes it inaccessible for many Black students, and this leads to fewer pursuing higher degrees. They will develop new lessons that apply mathematics to issues directly relevant to their female black students, such as using algebra to explore poverty and wage gaps, and algorithms to understand the effects of social media.