Exousia
Mathematics and Science Program
What is the Exousia Mathematics and
Science Program?
The Exousia Mathematics and Science Program (EMSP) is an academic
enrichment program designed to increase the number of African-American students
interested in and qualified to pursue careers in mathematics and science.
Why is the
Exousia Mathematics and Science Program needed?
Students participating in this program experience a variety
of academic enhancement activities. These activities include work
sessions;
field trips to museums, colleges, universities, and business sites to experience
mathematics and science in the professional world; research projects; math and science
fairs; family math nights; tutoring; Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) Preparation; and
much more.
African-Americans have a rich history in mathematics and science
that is usually ignored. Many people argue that African-Americans do
poorly in these areas because of heredity. However, the African-American heritage
in mathematics and science is second to none and has not been duplicated.
Two examples of this are the African pyramids and the Timbuktu civilization.
The mathematics and science required to build these worldly treasures still
confuse even the most trained mathematical minds. With such a history, why
don't African-American students perform better in mathematics and science? William
Tate (1994) conjectured that our students do so poorly because the content of
school mathematics is so divorced from students' everyday experience that it
seems irrelevant. There have been national initiatives designed to help correct
the state of African-American students and mathematics. However, more than ten
years after these initiatives began, African-American students, especially those
in urban centers, are still plagued with low student mathematics achievement, enrollment trends that reflect low participation,
inadequate opportunity
to participate in higher mathematics courses, students that are anxious
or express trepidation about their mathematical abilities, and elevated
high school drop-out rates that surpass all other racial-ethnic groups (Ladson-Billings,
1992; Secada, 1992). One of the goals of EMSP is to make mathematics and science
relevant to African-American students by teaching them the African-American
history of mathematics using pedagogy that is congruent to how
African-American students learn; therefore, integrating their culture in lessons and
activities.
Program
Objectives
- Increase the number of African-American students proficient
in mathematics and science
- Increase African-American
student awareness of career opportunities
in mathematics and science
- Increase active participation of African-American parents in their
children's academic lives
- Increase African-American
student confidence in their abilities to
do mathematics and science
|
