Math for America

As a new school year begins, we’re so excited to welcome our teachers back this week for the start of fall programming at MƒA! 🍂

We encourage you to take a moment to connect with teachers in the community, even if they teach a different subject, live in a different borough, or work with a different grade level than you.

You never know where a great conversation, new idea, or a little extra support might come from. ✏️✨

The new school year sparks a range of emotions, from excitement and readiness to anticipation and eagerness. For teachers, MƒA is your community for collaboration and inspiration, and we thank you for your dedication to NYC students, STEM, and education. Tag us and share your 💡moments as we celebrate the extraordinary achievements you look to create this year. 🌟

"As a first generation Haitian American, education is something my family values. I was taught that hard-work, perseverance, and grit leads to success. When we moved to America, I internalized those values, but I struggled. I was learning the language, and I did not see myself in the curriculum. Though my early experiences made school feel disconnected from my life, math class was always something I enjoyed. It was fun! Not only did I feel successful learning the content, but as an English Language Learner there was less reading comprehension needed and it was easy to see growth. I realize that I love recognizing patterns, decoding number sentences, and solving puzzles. This love for math continues to grow even today.

I am in the classroom because I want to share this passion with my students. I want to challenge the idea that math cannot be fun. I want to help my students see themselves as mathematicians. I want my students to understand that math is more than something we do in the classroom. It is a valuable way of thinking and problem-solving that they can apply in their everyday lives."

MƒA Teacher Talk: MƒA Master Teacher Reyna Saint-Louis teaches Mathematics at Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn

This summer, MƒA's STEM ƒutures Cohort reached an exciting milestone: 25 students completed our first-ever six-week summer intensive in physical computing and programming. Students dove into hands-on programming with Finch Robots and p5, building real technical skills through project-based learning. Their hard work culminated in a robotics competition, where students put their engineering and problem-solving to the test, and a hackathon, where they presented original games, interactive posters, and physical computing projects to showcase everything they'd learned.

We could not be prouder of what this group accomplished. Watching these students design, code, troubleshoot, and present with such creativity and confidence was an exciting time for all. We're thrilled to continue our programming with these students next summer, after they complete 10th grade, and to welcome a brand-new cohort of ninth graders from WHEELS and Leaders joining us this coming year.

Thank you to MƒA Master Teachers Nathan Folwell, Karen Guzman, Kate Maschmeyer, Anders Truong, and Huan Wang for supporting facilitation this summer.

What happens when MƒA teachers come together over the summer with the intention to think deeply, play freely, and reimagine what’s possible in their classrooms?

Last month, the MƒA Summer Think took teachers into unexpected corners of STEM. This year’s theme, Vivid Minds, Vibrant Classrooms: Thinking, Playing, and Learning in Color, invited the MƒA community to embrace play, productive struggle, and collective problem-solving while reflecting on how creativity, curiosity, adaptability, and joy can transform learning.

Read all about the ninth year of this teacher-designed, teacher-focused, and teacher-led conference.

Vivid Minds, Vibrant Classrooms: Thinking, Playing, and Learning in Color What happens when MƒA teachers come together for three days over the summer with the intention to think deeply, play freely, and reimagine what’s possible in their classrooms?

What happens when you invest in just one teacher?

After attending her first National Science Teaching Association Teaching Association conference with support from an MƒA Impact Grant, Master Teacher Jeanne Salchli didn't just bring new ideas back to her classroom… She stepped into leadership roles that now support educators across 40 New York City Public Schools.

Read how she's mentoring and helping teachers build confidence in science instruction while expanding opportunities for thousands of students in “Learning, Leading, Lifting Others” on the MƒA blog.

Learning, Leading, Lifting Others How MƒA Master Teacher Jeanne Salchli assists fellow teachers in order to drive meaningful change in science and STEAM education.

The community reached new heights this year.🚀 Together, you've sparked new ideas, collaborated in meaningful ways, and continued advancing teaching and learning with creativity, care, and purpose.

Every conversation and course contributed to supporting students, empowering each other, and helping shape the future of NYC schools and education.

As we close out the school year, we'd love to celebrate with you. Drop a comment and share your favorite MƒA moment from this past year. ✨

Congratulations to MƒA Master Teacher Dr. Jude Julien, who teaches chemistry at Virtual Innovators Academy, and MƒA Master Teacher Gabe Rosenberg, who teaches mathematics at Bard Early Colleges for winning the 2026 MƒA Muller Award for Professional Influence in Education.

Presented annually to two exceptional New York City public school teachers, the award recognizes MƒA Master Teachers whose influence, leadership, and professional contributions have had a lasting impact on mathematics and science education. Earlier this month, they were honored at our Muller Award Ceremony and End of Year Celebration, where they each received a $20,000 prize and celebrated another wonderful school year with fellow teachers.

Read the full announcement at the link and join us in congratulating these outstanding MƒA teachers in the comments below. https://bit.ly/4xAxrx2

Last month, we wrapped up our 2025–2026 MƒA Thursday Think speaker series with a fascinating talk by Dr. Angelo Soto-Centeno: Bats and the Biodiversity Crisis: Extinction and Resilience.

Dr. Soto-Centeno an Assistant Curator in the Department of Mammalogy at American Museum of Natural History explored the biodiversity crisis through the lens of bats—one of the most diverse mammalian groups on the planet. With a special focus on bats from the Caribbean and NYC, he shared insights into the natural and human-driven forces shaping species diversity and survival, offering a deeper understanding of insights into the mechanisms that shape species resilience.

View previous talks from this past school year https://bit.ly/3QzT14d