We are looking for passionate & energetic faculty leaders that want to spend time with mathematically extraordinary middle school students, introducing them to advanced concepts and the joy of problem solving and mathematical exploration. If you’ve always had a vision of what the perfect math camp could be, but have dreaded the time, complexity, and effort required to operationalize and execute a residential summer camp, this role is for you. The Academic Director will focus on the educational elements of the camp experience, with a dedicated team handling all of the operational elements, such as logistics, vendor contracts, HR, registration, financial aid, etc.
Who We Are: National Math Camps
We believe that math camps provide transformational experiences that deeply strengthen students' mathematical knowledge and identity. Many of today’s premier mathematicians and scientists point to their participation in math camps as a critical step in their mathematical journeys. It is in these immersive programs that they discovered the beauty and joy of mathematics in a tight-knit community of other “mathy†students and decided to pursue careers that push innovation in the STEM fields.
However, summer math camps in the U.S. today are oversubscribed - most selective camps receive applications from 2-10x more eligible students than they have space for. We want to make sure that all mathematically extraordinary students have the opportunity to attend rigorous math summer camps.
We are building a nonprofit organization to run a variety of math camps across the United States. Our goal is to make it easy for mathematicians to start their own camps by providing them with mentoring and support as well as a centralized support infrastructure to handle the operational aspects. This way mathematicians can focus on what they do best - inspiring and teaching young mathematicians. We believe that by removing these barriers, more mathematicians will participate in camps, leading to more seats for mathematically extraordinary students to fill.
Our first step will be to run two pilot camps for ages 11 - 14 in summer 2025, with each camp hosting two 2-week sessions of about 30 students each. In subsequent years, we hope to expand each camp to serve more students over more sessions, and to open additional camps for this age group and others.
We are currently part of Carina Initiatives, but expect to spin out into our own organization by the end of 2024.
The Role:
As the founding Academic Director for one of our pilot camps, you’ll have a unique opportunity to build your own camp while contributing to the development and refinement of our overall model and approach. From shaping the themes and curriculum to making final decisions on student admissions and faculty selection, you’ll have significant ownership of key elements without the burden of overseeing all administrative and operational tasks. Your primary focus will be on cultivating a vibrant community of extraordinary students and mathematicians, creating immersive, joyful, and transformational math experiences that prepare students to impact the frontiers of math and science. And you won’t be doing it alone - you’ll be part of a growing network of mathematicians that you can collaborate with and learn from.
What You’ll Do:
• Faculty Leadership: Train, mentor, and supervise camp faculty, ensuring a high-quality educational experience for all campers.
• Curriculum Development: Lead the development of the camp’s curriculum and pedagogical approach, balancing a diverse array of courses while defining and integrating signature academic elements.
• Cultural Stewardship: Define and cultivate the camp’s culture in partnership with the Camp Operations Director, fostering an inclusive and joyful community that encourages mathematical exploration.
• Teaching: Teach one class (or two sections of a shorter class) per week during camp.
• Student Selection: Participate in the student selection process, including contributing to the admissions test and making final decisions on which students to admit to your camp. You will not be responsible for leading the student selection process.
• Summer Hiring:
• Camp Operations Director: Contribute to the selection of the Camp Operations Director, ensuring a strong working relationship and alignment with your vision.
• Faculty: Contribute to the recruitment and selection of faculty, including making final decisions on which faculty to invite to your camp. You will not be responsible for leading the faculty hiring process.
• Counselors: Contribute to the recruitment and selection of counselors, with a focus on their readiness to serve as teaching assistants. Final decisions will be shared between the Academic & Camp Operations Directors.
What We’re Looking For:
• Advanced degree in mathematics or a closely related field, with PhD strongly preferred
• Significant mathematics teaching experience, particularly using an acti
Location: United States
Posted: Sept. 10, 2024, 9:11 a.m.
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