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Session 2665

Experiences from the Tulsa Mathematics Equity Academy

Donna S. Farrior, Shirley B. Pomeranz, Thomas W. Cairns The University of Tulsa

Introduction The Tulsa Mathematics Equity Academy (TMEA) has been held at The University of Tulsa for the past 7 summers. The TMEA started as an outgrowth of our popular Sonia Kovalevsky High School Mathematics Days. Over the past seven summers the directors of the program have tried several formats and different content. This paper will summarize our experience with a view toward offering tips on how to start a residential summer academy. The TMEA is a residential academy for rising 8th and 9th grade girls. No academic credit is given. Our academy is funded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education through a competitive proposal process. For residential academies, a maximum of $525 per student per week can be obtained.

Developing a Schedule for a Residential Academy One of the most daunting tasks originally confronting us was that of keeping rising high school students occupied productively for an extended period of time. The first step in planning a summer academy is to design a single day. Identifying blocks of time for instruction, recreation, meals, and rest for one day provides the basis for an overall plan. Setting up a structure for one academy day, will quickly make clear how much instructional time is available. What originally appears to be a huge expanse of time quickly shrinks to manageable size. Once a basic daily routine is established, we can determine how many days the academy requires—usually one or two weeks. The basic structure on any given day can be altered to accommodate special speakers or field trips. Figures 1 and 2 show the schedule for the 2002 TMEA. Having a finely tuned schedule with all logistic details attended to prior to the academy frees the faculty to concentrate on teaching and interaction with the students.

We have experimented with different formats over the years: · Two-week academy with time off during the intervening weekend. · One-week academy from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon.

Even at the relatively young age of rising 8th graders, a one-week academy didn’t give us enough time. We have settled on a two-week academy format, running Sunday evening through Friday afternoon. Our students, all from Oklahoma, return home on the intervening weekend. Only once have we had a student fail to return from the weekend break.

When students accept positions in our academy, they must commit to being in residence throughout. Building a community of scholars living and working together is such an important aspect of this experience that we can't permit students to attend athletic practices or other outside functions. Parents and students understand this when accepting positions in the academy. It is

Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education

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Cairns, T., & Farrior, D., & Pomeranz, S. (2003, June), Experiences From The Tulsa Mathematics Equity Academy Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12435