A National Network of Sonia Kovalevsky Mathematics Days

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This award supports the organization of 15 Sonia Kovalevsky Mathematics Days (named after the first woman ever to receive a Ph.D. degree in Mathematics) during March 2010 - March 2011. Each such activity is a day long program of engaging mathematics workshops specially designed to (1) attract middle school and high school girls to the study of mathematics and to support their interest in this discipline; (2) give the middle school and high school girl participants the chance to interact with college level women pursuing STEM degrees, women faculty in STEM disciplines, and professional women from industry or the financial sector; and (3) assist teachers with new ideas for teaching mathematics to girls and underrepresented minorities. The program activities will emphasize problem solving in interactive discovery activities involving discussions with experts, games, team projects, and mini-competitions. The estimated number of participants served by this project is 1200 middle school and high school girls and 150 mathematics teachers. The proposed program is about exposure and opportunity, and it epitomizes the principle that equal opportunity to study mathematics yields similar performances of girls and boys .