Girls just wanna do maths - and the women who help them

The Union Public School District is making efforts to encourage and support more students from underrepresented backgrounds to take advanced math courses. Instead of sticking with the traditional one-time placement test that determines a student’s math trajectory from sixth grade onward, Union schools offer in-school tutoring and longer class periods to support students who show promise in advanced math.

After leading Seattle’s storied Garfield High School for more than a decade, Principal Ted Howard is having a crisis of conscience, wondering if his hard line with youth of color is hurting the very students he most wants to help.

Forty percent of low-income students accepted to college never start school because of a fear of debt and feelings they don't belong. A New York college access organization is using peer-mentoring to help perspective students jump over the hurtles.

Schools in Adamawa State are increasing the number of female teachers, which is inherently increasing the number of female students attending school. Previously, over 50% of girls in the area had not been in school, or dropped out, but with the increase of female teachers, the number of girls in school has dramatically increased.

The KNOSK secondary school is working to reduce the number of out-of-school youth in Nigeria by providing students with a quality education for a daily fee much lower than other school options. The school offers various payment plan options and gives the students uniforms, lunch, and sanitary products.

To enhance learning, Smart Primary School has integrated peer-mentoring in its curriculum through the Buddy program. Each student in the first grade is paired with a fifth grader who tutors and guides the younger one with lessons and activities for the next four years. The program has not just helped them improve their language, communication, and mathematics skills, but also helped enhance the school atmosphere through the trust and bonding students build in the process.

The Romani Education Fund in Slovakia is helping children from the Roma community, which has a history of social and economic disadvantages as well as being subject to ethnic discrimination, overcome challenges to finish high school and pursue higher education. The REF works by providing qualifying students with a stipend to pay for educational supplies, as well as providing school guidance and personal mentorship to help both students and parents overcome the social hurdles that impede the student's desire or ability to fulfill their potential.

Boston Public Schools is embracing an approach called Building Assets, Reducing Risks that has proven successful in other U.S. school districts. In BARR, teams of teachers compare notes on students to ensure they are on the right track: "BARR doesn't rely on one superstar teacher to notice a kid in trouble. From the science teacher to the school counselor, they all take a seat at the table."

Oregon schools are leveraging the power of relationships to improve attendance and graduation rates for Pacific Islander and Black students. Community resource specialists step in to get students to school, doctor's appointments, family funerals, and more: “I’m honestly not doing anything special. I hate to say that, there’s no science around what I’m doing. It’s just trust and building a relationship and giving them the time."

School districts can help students qualify for high-tech careers, regardless of their zip code, through investments in networking and mentoring. Coded by Kids was founded in Philadelphia in 2014 to teach underprivileged students computer skills, such as programming and design. Within five years, Coded by Kids has expanded into New Jersey and Delaware, reaching hundreds of kids. The organization has also launched a student-led design firm, Draft Studios.