Kittitas Valley Math Circle (KVMC) canceled their face-to-face meetings at CWU for the remainder of spring quarter.

On April 6 Gov. Jay Inslee requested a statewide closure of  private and public schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.  

KVMC is a program hosted at CWU that encourages community through math to students in grades 2 through 6. The program is sponsored by The College of the Sciences and the Department of Mathematics, and undergraduate interns at CWU can dedicate their time to mentor math circle sessions.

Brent Hancock, who has a doctorate in mathematics education, said “the mentors love the open-ended nature of the investigations, and there is always an element of play where both kids and the mentors are having fun and always asking and investigating new questions.”

The undergraduate students spend time mentoring the elementary students, and according to Hancock, the KVMC program has given undergraduate interns room to run their own Math Circle. Hancock said the opportunity to lead their own Math Circle allows undergraduates to interact with the students without the pressure of a rigid lesson plan.

By holding the math events at CWU, it allows the staff to use the university’s resources to make the program as good as it can be, Hancock said. Having the program on campus allows easy access for undergraduate mentors as well as the faculty who run KVMC, Hancock said.

According to Hancock, interns help in assisting with printing, sign-in for students and parents, and other logistics. Being on campus permits the use of classrooms with ample whiteboard space and tables, which  are useful for collaboration amongst the students.

Now that schools are closed for the remainder of the year, Hancock said KVMC leaders are working with undergraduates to create online materials which will be shared with their Math Circle students. 

Some of the resources include the Math for Love Group, which includes free online lesson plans for teachers, and the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival Webinar Series, which focuses on featuring mathematical challenges and puzzles to grades 4 through 12. The newly created Math Communities website is another resource that gathers free and interactive math events for anyone looking for math programs available to do from home. 

The purpose for online material is so students “don’t have to miss out on exploring mathematics, even in this difficult time,” Hancock said.

Hancock said KVMC is a program where students of any math background can tackle interesting problems as a team and learn something new and exciting. KVMC is not a traditional math class, according to Hancock. There are math games, puzzles, magic tricks and many other activities.

KVMC has an adult program for parents, guardians and teachers. Hancock said the adults can discuss mathematical problem solving strategies used in the Math Circles and elementary schools. There is also a Spanish speaking middle school program which allows students to engage in mathematical tasks in Spanish. 

“We are really trying to give everyone in the community an opportunity to explore the beauty of mathematics,” said Hancock.

Hancock said he believes parents play a large role in their children’s mathematical growth by supporting their creativity and taking an interest in what the children are learning in school. The Math Circle includes built in time for parents to see what their student has built or played with, and there is a math festival at the end of the school year.

KVMC is one of many programs that are changing their in-person program to be accessible online for students who want to continue participating during the stay-at-home order.

“We miss interacting with everyone in person,” Hancock said. “But we are hopeful that in the meantime KVMC students and families can persist in their exploration of mathematics online.”