Minding My Math Business summer camp at WKU focuses on math and mindfulness

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Minding My Math Business is a four-day summer camp at WKU that has been blending math and mindfulness skills, it is presented by WKU professors from the Departments of Mathematics and Counseling & Student Affairs in partnership with For a Real Change, Inc. and The Kelly M. Burch Institute for Transformative Practices in Higher Education.

The program is geared towards junior high and high school students.

Emmanuel Boamah is taking part in the summer camp and says, “the reason I got into this program was basically, I wanted to have higher up black role models to look up to in the math, math program. Really helped kind of boost my confidence knowing that there were other people like that we can make it, yeah, to the higher ranks and so it kind of pushed me.”

Anastacia Alvarez is also in the summer camp, “we’ve basically been applying math to the real world and just this concept of mindfulness, which is paying attention on purpose, and it’s kind of made me think more about the world around me.”

One student is already looking towards his future in college and how this program will help him in the long run.

“I think I want to be either a biochem engineer or somewhere in the engineering field, yeah, doing with math, science stem stuff, and so this program, I figured that it would help me,” says Boamah.

Aurelia Spaulding, the marketing coordinator at WKU and the Executive Director at For A Real Change spoke on the specific group the camp is targeting.

“We know that research studies show a correlation between math and success in college and many times, our black and brown youth are not, do not have the resources available for opportunities to engage in activities with math that allow them to identify their mathematical identities and excel in those areas,” says Spaulding.

Boamah adds if you’re thinking of doing a summer camp, “I say if you have the opportunity to do it. Go shoot for it because it’s helped me that just the two days that I’ve been here already, it’s helped me see like, a kind of new door opening for where I want to go.”

Spaulding is thankful for all those involved in helping make the camp a success.

Most of the students who took part are scholars who are wanting to enhance their skills.

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