It is essential to recognize students come from diverse backgrounds, each with their unique strengths and weaknesses. Some may have exclusive coaching or innate talents, while others struggle due to slower learning paces or inadequate foundational knowledge. Despite their differences, what unites these students is their shared larger-than-life love for mathematics.
Recognizing the diverse needs of students, we’ve created inclusive initiatives through our Metro Math Competition. This platform enables students to showcase their skills, connect with peers, and have fun while vying for prizes. By offering various grade levels for competition, we accommodate advanced students and encourage healthy competition among diverse skill sets. For those requiring extra support, our weekly Metro Math classes help strengthen their understanding of mathematical concepts.
The heart of our approach is profoundly rooted in inclusivity, prioritizing students' needs by actively seeking feedback and adapting to meet evolving expectations. By fostering collaboration and empowerment, we aim to help students overcome unique challenges, cultivate a lifelong passion for mathematics, and contribute to a more equitable educational landscape in competitive math and beyond. These sentiments launched our Pittsburgh Metro Math Competition, a project conceptualized and organized by the two of us: Thrisha and Havisha Kalpatthi. So far, we have successfully conducted the competition twice, with the first event held on January 20, 2023 and the second on January 12, 2024. By creating a friendly math competition, we have been able garner interest from 150+ young students in the Pittsburgh area each year. To make this project a reality, we secured sponsorships, crafted competition questions, and recruited volunteers. Not only did the event provide a fun and educational experience for participants, but it also generated over $1500 in donations for the Brashear Association.The Brashear Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving underserved students in the Pittsburgh region. We collaborate with Mrs. Andrea Matthews, CEO of the Brashear Association, who is very receptive to our ideas. Together, we have conducted classes for students at Brashear for over two years and plan to nurture this connection throughout the future.