(CM)² is a program hosted by the Mathematics Department at San Francisco State University and is supported by the National Science Foundation's GK-12 Program (grant DGE-0841164). (CM)² funds nine mathematics graduate student Fellows per year. Our aim is to enrich the mathematical experiences of the Fellows, as well as teachers and students from four San Francisco public schools, and prepare the Fellows for Ph.D. programs.
A key goal is to strengthen the Fellows' communication, teaching, outreach, and teamwork skills by immersing them in mathematics classrooms and the San Francisco Math Circle. A second key goal is to make mathematics, especially algebra, and its career connections more relevant and explicit for 6-12 grade teachers and students.
The project will enhance the preparation of the Fellows for Ph.D. programs, particularly among underrepresented minorities. The project contributes to meeting societal demand for mathematicians who can explain their work and its significance, not only to each other, but to the general public. By developing mathematics seminars focused on communicating research, the model provides innovative strategies for invigorating mathematics education in graduate school.
