Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM), a project of the Art of Problem Solving Initiative, Inc., is seeking instructors for a program that gives everyone a chance to excel in mathematics. Faculty teach their own courses to bright middle school students from low-income and historically marginalized communities. Ideal faculty candidates include college or university professors with strong teaching backgrounds, and middle or high school teachers with strong mathematics backgrounds. Junior faculty positions are also available for graduate students and early career teachers, and we encourage applications from other professionals with an interest in math education.

During summer 2020, we will run residential programs at college campus in upstate New York and Southern California, and day programs in New York City and Los Angeles.

Residential Program (BEAM Summer Away):

Compensation: $5,000 for four weeks (or $3,300 for junior faculty such as graduate students or early-career teachers), plus room, board, and a transportation stipend.

Location: Bard College and Union College, both located a few hours out of NYC, and Harvey Mudd College in Southern California. Our students, all from low-income and historically marginalized communities in New York City and Los Angeles, will be discovering a new environment in these idyllic settings.

• CA Dates: June 18 to July 15, 2020
• NY Dates: July 2 to July 29, 2020

Courses at BEAM Summer Away can be:

• Pure math such as number theory, combinatorics, graph theory, or logic;
• Applied math such as circuit design, programming, astrophysics, or genetics; or
• Problem solving, either Math Team Strategies or Solving Big Problems.

Non-residential Program (BEAM Discovery):

Compensation: $2,200-$5,600 for six weeks depending on course load (part-time positions available).

• Location: Los Angeles, New York City
• LA Dates: June 17 to July 28, 2020
• NYC Dates: July 1 to August 11, 2020

BEAM Discovery Faculty teach one or two classes for all 5 weeks. For each of them, you can either apply to teach one of our pre-packaged courses or create their own curriculum for a class in one of the following categories:

• Logical Reasoning introduces logical reasoning including deductive logic, case analysis, working methodically, and proof by contradiction.
• Math Fundamentals leads students to understand mathematics from school on a deeper, more conceptual level.
• Math Team Strategies exposes students to problems that require creativity, primarily through math contest problems.
• Applied Math introduces students to different areas of work related to mathematics. Examples include programming, astronomy, mathematical biology (such as predator and prey models, or genetics), or estimation and Fermi problems.

For both:

We’ve found that the community of teachers that we create, bringing together instructors from across many different academic areas, is one of the program’s strengths and provides a great experience for all participants.

Good candidates will work well on a close-knit team and will be able to bring unique curriculum perspectives to the program. Experience with students from low-income or historically marginalized backgrounds or at Title 1 schools is a plus, as is experience with other extracurricular outreach programs (such as math summer programs or math circles, MATHCOUNTS, programming workshops, or similar). We will provide mentorship, textbooks, and other resources as needed.

This is a unique opportunity to influence the lives of young students. Our students have tremendous potential and a strong ability for abstract reasoning, but because of their schools and backgrounds they often have not had the same training as more affluent peers. They are devoted, doing many hours of math each day (and loving it). We hope that you will join us (and them)!