Organizing Committee
Abstract

GirlsGetMath@ICERM is a five-day non-residential mathematics program that is open to high schoolers, regardless of gender, who live in or near greater Rhode Island and who will be entering the 10th or 11th grade in the fall of 2023.

GirlsGetMath occurs in an encouraging environment that builds young students' confidence in math and science.

GirlsGetMath expands participants' understanding and knowledge of mathematics through computations and experimentations.

GirlsGetMath provides expert mathematical training and mentoring.

GirlsGetMath@ICERM encourages 20-25 high schoolers to explore topics such as cryptography, the mathematics of voting, image processing, prime numbers and factoring, and fractals.

The goals of the program are:

  • to show young adults that the study of mathematics can be exciting, beautiful, and useful
  • to build confidence in students' mathematical knowledge through engaging and expert mathematical instruction
  • to provide an affirming environment that introduces high schoolers to a variety of career opportunities in which sophisticated mathematical ability plays a key role
  • to emphasize the strategic role mathematics plays for success in STEM careers
  • to provide the participants with a support group and expert mentors who are successful undergraduate, graduate students, postdocs, and professionals from the STEM workforce
  • to have a positive influence on the way students view their mathematical interest and ability

Image for "GirlsGetMath@ICERM: Summer Math Camp for High School Students"
GirlsGetMath@ICERM is made possible solely through grants and donations. The 2023 program is made possible through grants and gifts from Avi Kalichstein, the American Mathematical Society, Math for America, and MathWorks.

Program Details

Instructors
The faculty organizers will be joined by undergraduate, graduate students, and postdocs who will serve as teaching fellows in the program. Two GirlsGetMath alumni will be chosen to assist during the program as well.**
Location
Pandemic permitting, the program will take place at the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM) on the Brown University campus.
Participant Requirements
  • Students must not have attended a previous GirlsGetMath@ICERM program
  • Students must be in the 10th or 11th grade in the fall of 2023
  • Students must live in or near the greater Providence, RI area
  • Students must ask one math teacher to submit a letter of reference
Tuition
Tuition is $100. Full financial aid is available. Daily lunch included.

GirlsGetMath Schedule

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Monday, August 14, 2023
  • 9:00 - 9:50 am EDT
    Warm up: LockBox and Introductions
    Program Overview - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 9:50 - 10:00 am EDT
    Break
    Coffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 10:00 - 11:00 am EDT
    The game SET
    Group Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 11:00 - 11:10 am EDT
    Break
    Coffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 11:10 am - 12:00 pm EDT
    Introduction to MATLAB
    Tutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 12:00 - 1:00 pm EDT
    Lunch (provided)
    Lunch/Free Time - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 1:00 - 2:00 pm EDT
    Lab: Introdcution to MATLAB
    Group Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 2:00 - 2:10 pm EDT
    Break
    Coffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 2:10 - 3:30 pm EDT
    Lab: Playing SET
    Group Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
  • 9:00 - 9:50 am EDT
    Introduction to Matrices and Vectors
    Tutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 9:50 - 10:00 am EDT
    Break
    Coffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 10:00 - 11:00 am EDT
    Lab: Matrices and Vectors
    Group Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 11:10 am - 12:00 pm EDT
    Data Science in Public Health. Hosted by Dr. Anarina Murillo, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Brown Univeristy School of Public Health
    11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 12:00 - 1:00 pm EDT
    Lunch (provided)
    Lunch/Free Time - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 1:00 - 3:30 pm EDT
    Data Science in Public Health. Hosted by Dr. Anarina Murillo, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Brown Univeristy School of Public Health
    11th Floor Lecture Hall
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
  • 9:00 - 9:50 am EDT
    Recommendation Systems
    Tutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 9:50 - 10:00 am EDT
    Break
    Coffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 10:00 - 11:00 am EDT
    Lab: Recommendation Systems
    Group Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 11:00 - 11:10 am EDT
    Break
    Coffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 11:10 am - 12:00 pm EDT
    Transforming Images with Matrix Arithmetic
    Tutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 12:00 - 1:00 pm EDT
    Lunch (provided)
    Lunch/Free Time - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 1:00 - 1:50 pm EDT
    Lab: Image processing in MATLAB
    Group Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 1:50 - 2:00 pm EDT
    Break
    Coffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 2:00 - 2:45 pm EDT
    Image Filters and Effects
    Tutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 2:45 - 3:30 pm EDT
    Lab: Image Filters and Effects
    Group Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
Thursday, August 17, 2023
  • 9:00 am - 2:00 pm EDT
    Visit to Brown campus and Harris Lab, with lunch on campus. Hosted by Dr. Dan Harris, Assisant Professor of Engineering, Brown University School of Engineering
    Harris Lab - Harris Lab
  • 9:00 - 9:10 am EDT
    Group Photo
    Group Photo (Immediately After Talk) - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 12:00 - 1:00 pm EDT
    Lunch (provided)
    Lunch/Free Time - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 2:00 - 2:10 pm EDT
    Break
    Coffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 2:10 - 3:30 pm EDT
    Lab Time
    Group Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 3:30 - 4:30 pm EDT
    Intro to Cryptography (optional)
    11th Floor Lecture Hall
    • Abigail Butel, NSA
    Abstract
    The National Security Agency (NSA) has a well-established history in cryptology, the art and science of code-breaking and code-making. This talk will give a brief overview of the NSA, along with some insight into the work of mathematicians at the agency. We will then define some components of a cipher system and work through multiple examples of ciphers utilized throughout history, including the Polybius square, the ADFGX cipher, the Caesar cipher, the Baconian cipher, the rail fence cipher, the route cipher, and the monome-dinome cipher.
Friday, August 18, 2023
  • 9:00 - 9:50 am EDT
    Warm up: Math puzzles and crafts
    Group Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 9:50 - 10:00 am EDT
    Break
    Coffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 10:00 - 11:00 am EDT
    Introduction to Graph Theory
    Tutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 11:00 - 11:10 am EDT
    Break
    Coffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 11:10 am - 12:00 pm EDT
    Epidemic Spread on Graphs
    Tutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 12:00 - 1:00 pm EDT
    Lunch (provided)
    Lunch/Free Time - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 1:00 - 1:50 pm EDT
    Lab: Epidemic Spread on Graphs
    Group Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 1:50 - 2:00 pm EDT
    Break
    Coffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
  • 2:00 - 2:45 pm EDT
    Wrap-up session
    Closing Remarks - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 2:45 - 3:30 pm EDT
    What's next? Panel on college and internships
    Panel Discussion - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
  • 3:30 - 4:30 pm EDT
    Closing ceremony
    Closing Remarks - 11th Floor Lecture Hall

All event times are listed in ICERM local time in Providence, RI (Eastern Daylight Time / UTC-4).

All event times are listed in .

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Purpose of Program

Despite the fact that jobs in STEM are multiplying and pay better than other careers, women remain woefully underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math jobs. Some of this imbalance may be traced back to attitudes about mathematics and sciences in middle school and high school. There is a documented decline in girls’ positive feels about mathematics beginning in middle school, and from this point forward girls are far less likely than their male peers to choose elective courses in mathematics and the sciences[1][2]. The absence of girls in mathematics and science elective courses is especially severe among low-income and disadvantaged students. Research has shown that school-aged girls may not realize that their preferred career choice requires coursework in mathematics and sciences[3], so these decisions can have long lasting consequences.

GirlsGetMath@ICERM aims to build knowledge and confidence in mathematics ability early in education, ultimately shaping the way the students view themselves and their mathematical interests and potential. The program will:

  • Demonstrate through hands-on activities, games, and computer simulations that the study of mathematics can be exciting, beautiful and useful;
  • Introduce the high school participants to a variety of career opportunities for which sophisticated mathematical ability plays a key role, with an emphasis on the central role mathematics plays for success in STEM careers; and
  • Provide the participants with a support group of like-minded peers and mentors.
  • An outstanding feature of the GirlsGetMath@ICERM program is its commitment to quality. The program content is created by Ph.D. mathematicians who collectively have many years of experience as researchers and educators. The content is chosen to be at the appropriate level for the participants, but at the same time challenging, useful, and engaging to high school students. The Faculty Organizers of GirlsGetMath are college and university faculty in mathematics with experience leading summer mathematics programs for students. The Teaching Assistants are undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics and computer science.

References:
[1] J. Blue and D. Gann, When do girls lose interest in math and science?, Science Scope, (2008).
[2] J. Wilkins and X. Ma, Modeling change in students attitude toward and beliefs about mathematics, Journal of Educational Research, (2007).
[3] L. Pettitt, Middle School Students’ Perception of Math and Science Abilities and Related Careers, 61st Biennial Meeting of Research in Child Development, (1995).

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