Each year on April 22, Earth Day invites us to reflect on the beauty, complexity and fragility of our planet. It’s a time to appreciate the natural world, recognize the contributions of the environmental movement and think deeply about how we care for the planet, not just for today but for future generations.
One of the most meaningful ways we can honor that mission? Help students see and appreciate the Earth — including its landscapes, features, wonders and history — in new ways.
Virtual Field Trips in MindTap, an immersive feature for earth sciences courses, provide a unique opportunity for students to do just that.
Inspiring a deeper connection to our planet
Virtual Field Trips takes students on an unforgettable journey to some of the most iconic and geologically significant places across the United States. No travel required!
Through vivid imagery and animation, expert commentary and interactive moments of discovery, students can zoom in on rock formations in striking detail and study patterns shaped over millions of years, as if they were there in-person. Along the way, they can deepen their understanding of key earth science concepts.
Oh, the places they’ll go
From towering cliffs to ancient coral reefs, students visit awe-inspiring locations that highlight the planet’s beauty and study critical earth science topics. Field trips include:
Igneous Rocks at Yosemite National Park
Volcanoes at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Weathering and Erosion at Arches National Park
Sedimentary Rocks at Capitol Reef National Park
Fossilization at Petrified Forest National Park
Copper Mining at Bingham Canyon
Hydrothermal Activity at Yellowstone National Park
Deserts at Death Valley National Park
Geological Time at the Grand Canyon
Depositional Coasts on the US. East Coast
Erosional Coasts on the U.S West Coast
The Hazards of Living along an Erosional Coast
Coral Reef Communities
These locations are only the beginning, with more soon to come. And they aren’t just destinations, they’re reminders of the Earth’s complexity.
Watch this video to explore this feature for earth sciences courses:
Happy Earth Day
What started as a movement to raise awareness about environmental issues has grown into a global day of action. It’s a reminder that we’re all connected, and that taking care of our planet is something we can all do — together.
This Earth Day, let’s inspire students to explore the planet in ways that deepen their understanding and spark that sense of wonder. Thank you for teaching the next generation of explorers, scientists and stewards.
Discover how you can bring the Earth into your classroom.
When girls participate in STEM learning, the future is more inclusive
5 practical ways to integrate AI into high school science
Linking STEM lessons to real-world applications
For more news on STEM learning, visit eSN’s STEM & STEAM hub
Encouraging girls to engage in STEM is vital for fostering diversity, innovation, and equal opportunities in these fields. Women remain underrepresented in STEM degrees and in careers, often due to societal stereotypes, lack of representation, and limited access to resources.
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Almost 3 in 5 K-12 educators (55 percent) have positive perceptions about GenAI, despite concerns and perceived risks in its adoption, according to updated data from Cengage Group’s “AI in Education” research series.
Our school has built up its course offerings without having to add headcount. Along the way, we’ve also gained a reputation for having a wide selection of general and advanced courses for our growing student body.
When it comes to visual creativity, AI tools let students design posters, presentations, and digital artwork effortlessly. Students can turn their ideas into professional-quality visuals, sparking creativity and innovation.
In my work with middle school students, I’ve seen how critical that period of development is to students’ future success. One area of focus in a middle schooler’s development is vocabulary acquisition.
For students, the mid-year stretch is a chance to assess their learning, refine their decision-making skills, and build momentum for the opportunities ahead.
Middle school marks the transition from late childhood to early adolescence. Developmental psychologist Erik Erikson describes the transition as a shift from the Industry vs. Inferiority stage into the Identity vs. Role Confusion stage.
Art has a unique power in the ESL classroom–a magic that bridges cultures, ignites imagination, and breathes life into language. For English Language Learners (ELLs), it’s more than an expressive outlet.
In the year 2025, no one should have to be convinced that protecting data privacy matters. For education institutions, it’s really that simple of a priority–and that complicated.
Teachers are superheroes. Every day, they rise to the challenge, pouring their hearts into shaping the future. They stay late to grade papers and show up early to tutor struggling students.
Math isn’t just about numbers. It’s about language, too.
Many math tasks involve reading, writing, speaking, and listening. These language demands can be particularly challenging for students whose primary language is not English.
There are many ways teachers can bridge language barriers for multilingual learners (MLs) while also making math more accessible and engaging for all learners. Here are a few:
1.Introduce and reinforce academic language
Like many disciplines, math has its own language. It has specialized terms–such as numerator, divisor, polynomial, and coefficient–that students may not encounter outside of class. Math also includes everyday words with multiple meanings, such as product, plane, odd, even, square, degree, and mean.
One way to help students build the vocabulary needed for each lesson is to identify and highlight key terms that might be new to them. Write the terms on a whiteboard. Post the terms on math walls. Ask students to record them in math vocabulary notebooks they can reference throughout the year. Conduct a hands-on activity that provides a context for the vocabulary students are learning. Reinforce the terms by asking students to draw pictures of them in their notebooks or use them in conversations during group work.
Helping students learn to speak math proficiently today will pay dividends (another word with multiple meanings!) for years to come.
2. Incorporate visual aids
Visuals and multimedia improve MLs’ English language acquisition and engagement. Picture cards, for example, are a helpful tool for building students’ vocabulary skills in group, paired, or independent work. Many digital platforms include ready-made online cards as well as resources for creating picture cards and worksheets.
Visual aids also help MLs comprehend and remember content. Aids such as photographs, videos, animations, drawings, diagrams, charts, and graphs help make abstract ideas concrete. They connect concepts to the everyday world and students’ experiences and prior knowledge, which helps foster understanding.
Even physical actions such as hand gestures, modeling the use of a tool, or displaying work samples alongside verbal explanations and instructions can give students the clarity needed to tackle math tasks.
3. Utilize digital tools
A key benefit of digital math tools is that they make math feel approachable. Many MLs may feel more comfortable with digital math platforms because they can practice independently without worrying about taking extra time or giving the wrong answer in front of their peers.
Digital platforms also offer embedded language supports and accessibility features for diverse learners. Features like text-to-speech, adjustable speaking rates, digital glossaries, and closed captioning improve math comprehension and strengthen literacy skills.
4. Encourage hands-on learning
Hands-on learning makes math come alive. Math manipulatives allow MLs to “touch” math, deepening their understanding. Both physical and digital manipulatives–such as pattern blocks, dice, spinners, base ten blocks, and algebra tiles–enable students to explore and interact with mathematical ideas and discover the wonders of math in the world around them.
Many lesson models, inquiry-based investigations, hands-on explorations and activities, and simulations also help students connect abstract concepts and real-life scenarios.
PhET sims, for example, create a game-like environment where students learn math through exploration and discovery. In addition to addressing math concepts and applications, these free simulations offer language translations and inclusive features such as voicing and interactive descriptions.
Whether students do math by manipulating materials in their hands or on their devices, hands-on explorations encourage students to experiment, make predictions, and find solutions through trial and error. This not only fosters critical thinking but also helps build confidence and perseverance.
In U.S. public schools, Spanish is the most commonly reported home language of students learning English. More than 75 percent of English learners speak Spanish at home. To help schools incorporate students’ home language in the classroom, some digital platforms offer curriculum content and supports in both English and Spanish. Some even provide the option to toggle from English to Spanish with the click of a button.
In addition, artificial intelligence and online translation tools can translate lesson materials into multiple languages.
6. Create verbal scaffolds
To respond to math questions, MLs have to figure out the answers and how to phrase their responses in English. Verbal scaffolds such as sentence frames and sentence stems can lighten the cognitive load by giving students a starting point for answering questions or expressing their ideas. This way, students can focus on the lesson content rather than having to spend extra mental energy figuring out how to word their answers.
Sentence frames are often helpful for students with a beginning level of English proficiency.
A square has sides.
An isosceles triangle has at least equal angles.
Sentence stems (a.k.a. sentence starters) help students get their thoughts going so they can give an answer or participate in a discussion.
The pattern I noticed was .
My answer is . I figured it out by .
Whether online or on paper, these fill-in-the-blank phrases and sentences help students explain their thinking orally or in writing. These scaffolds also support academic language development by showing key terms in context and providing opportunities to use new vocabulary words.
Making math welcoming for all
All students are math language learners. Regardless of their home language, every student should feel like their math classroom is a place to learn, participate, contribute, and grow. With the right strategies and tools, teachers can effectively support MLs while maintaining the rigor of grade-level content and making math more accessible and engaging for all.
Students taking Anatomy and Physiology have many challenging and complex topics to navigate through. Some of the common areas where they may struggle include concept visualization, term memorization and learning how to apply their critical thinking skills within a real-world clinical setting.
Let’s explore MindTap for Elizabeth Co’s “A&P” and examine its suite of interactive features that improve engagement and comprehension, including Visible Body activities, author concept videos, clinical activities and personalized features.
Visible Body activities help students exercise factual and spatial knowledge
With Visible Body embedded into the MindTap Learning Path, students can access accurate visual representations, anatomically correct 3D models and immersive activities. Students can manipulate these 3D models and exercise their factual and spatial knowledge while reinforcing the concepts they’ve learned in Co’s “A&P.” Students can also check their understanding of these concepts by taking quizzes. With multiple Visible Body activities available in every chapter of the title, students can take advantage of a whole semester’s worth of 3D learning.
Visible Body activity in MindTap Learning Path
Author-driven content at students’ fingertips
“A&P” author Liz Co has always been passionate about supporting student learning and study skills. She currently serves on the HAPS (Human Anatomy & Physiology Society) learning objectives panel, is Committee Chair on Inclusive Pedagogy and Principal Investigator of Assessing Student Engagement and Efficacy of Remote Learning. Her wide-reaching experience has influenced new concept videos in each chapter, found under Learn Its in the MindTap Learning Path. Liz walks through what students have deemed to be the toughest topics in A&P, and breaks down those concepts using her pedagogical knowledge.
New concept videos with Dr. Elizabeth Co, author of “A&P.”
Clinical activities get students career-ready
Many students taking an A&P course are on the nursing/medical profession career track. With various opportunities to practice their critical thinking skills in MindTap for Co’s “A&P,” students can prepare for their future careers working in a clinical setting. Students can enhance those skills through Case Studies, activities which engage them with clinical scenarios and challenge them to achieve a higher-level of understanding with auto-graded assessments.
Study features reinforce key concepts/terms and personalize the learning experience
With over 8,000 anatomical terms to cover in the span of two semesters, A&P students need personalized solutions to help hone memorization skills and develop a better understanding of key concepts and terms. Students can improve these valuable skills with:
The Student Assistant, leveraging GenAI and exclusive Cengage content, delivers a personalized learning experience to students, available 24/7.
Mastery Training (powered by Cerego) uses cognitive science principles to help students learn key terms faster and more effectively. These activities help students make connections between terms and concepts, providing guidance until students have a full grasp of what they’ve learned.
Adaptive Test Prep helps students review and understand concepts and skills in the course. Students take a quiz and receive a customized set of study materials.
Today, I want to talk about an innovative and exciting tool for teaching and learning the subject of computer networking. I’ve been teaching and learning the expansive subject of computer networking for more than 25 years at the community college level. I also write networking and operating system textbooks for Cengage. I’ve always wished there was a tool available that offers accurate networking simulations while not being overly complicated for introductory students; that was focused first and foremost on teaching and learning the sometimes-difficult topic of networking. LabHUB Network Emulator from DTI Publishing is just such a tool.
I recently retired from full-time teaching, and I feel cheated that I will miss out using this tool in the classroom with my students. The good news for me is that I’m still writing networking textbooks, and this tool will be my go-to for developing virtual networking labs as a supplement to physical networking equipment labs.
What is LabHUB Network Emulator?
Network Emulator is a web-based networking simulation tool that anyone with a web browser and internet connection can access — no software installation required. For students, it’s easy to use. It visually shows the movement of network data through the network and allows students to configure network devices and topologies. It also gives immediate feedback as students work through lab exercises. For instructors, it’s fully customizable. While a library of pre-created, self-grading labs will be available with certain textbooks from Cengage, instructors can create their own labs to focus on the topics they feel are most important for students to grasp.
In addition, instructors can create self-check questions that provide immediate feedback with detailed explanations to validate learning outcomes as students work through lab steps. As I mentioned, this tool is focused on teaching and learning, so if a student gets stuck on a task, there’s a “Show Me” option that provides an explanation or plays a short video about the task at hand.
The vision behind Network Emulator
Every feature of Network Emulator was developed with teaching and learning in mind, and that has been the focus of the founder of DTI Publishing, Pierre Askmo, with all of DTI’s products. There are a few competing products in this space, and I asked Pierre why he decided to take on the competition and develop Network Emulator.
“We saw a need in the space between educational platforms with a fair amount of learning components but were static, and highly interactive professional network simulators geared towards engineers, which had hardly any learning features. The LabHUB Network Emulator merges the two to offer a highly interactive and educational network emulation platform.”
I pressed him further by asking what makes Network Emulator unique amongst the competition.
“It’s the ability to add educational features to a network emulation tool. Our tool was developed with students and instructors in mind. It enables instructors to insert questions, hints, and remedial texts while getting complete grading of the student’s actions. The LabHUB Network Emulator is an emulator developed for education.”
From what I have seen so far, that’s spot on.
Network Emulator has a clean, straightforward interface, as you can see from the figure. Moving from left to right in the figure, the lab written instructions are on the left, and you see a menu of devices and other options next, followed by the workspace. At the top are some controls including the Show Me option I mentioned before. The workspace can be pre-populated with devices as in the figure, and devices can be partially configured if desired depending on the learning objectives of the lab. The workspace can also be left completely empty so students can add and configure the necessary devices to complete the objectives of the lab.
Feedback in action: guiding students to understand networking concepts
One of the great things about Network Emulator is the feedback students get as they watch packets travel from device to device. The next figure shows a ping reply packet as it travels through the network from Computer B to Computer A. At the top right of the workspace, you see the current status of the packet, the source and destination devices, and the type of packet. At the very top of the workspace is the Network Log which is a running narrative of what is happening as the packet makes its way through the network.
Students can click the arrow at the top right of the screen and see the narrative history to better understand what occurred to get to this point in the packet’s journey. TheSendcontrol at the top of the workspace sends the packet so students can watch it traverse the network automatically. The Move to next devicecontrol simply forwards the packet to the next device, allowing students to click on the packet to see the packet details at any device.
The next two figures show packet contents and a partial view of the expanded Network Log. You can use the scroll bar to see the full log. When a packet reaches its destination, you’ll see a green checkmark and the status line reports “Successful.”
So, what happens if something goes wrong? For example, what if a student tries to send a ping packet, but the devices are not properly configured for a successful transmission? Again, feedback is the key. In the next figure, a ping was attempted between Computer A and Computer C. But, since a router is in between the computers, more configuration is required. The status bar at the top reports that the packet cannot be sent and if you hover your mouse over the exclamation point, you see a message: “No default gateway configured.” This type of feedback is excellent for students who are learning the basics of networking.
How instructors can build a personalized learning experience with Network Emulator
For instructors, Network Emulator allows them to create their own labs. Instructions can be written in Edit LabMode and audio instructions can be included. This is also where instructors can include a Show Me which can include a text narrative, a video, and audio.
In Studio Mode, instructors can design the topology with an initial state that students will see when they start the lab, and a correct state which is the state of the topology when the student completes the lab step.
Studio Mode is also where you can create self-check questions and configure grading criteria. After each step, instructors can create a self-check question to reinforce the learning objective for the lab step. Students will get instant correct/incorrect feedback and an explanation for the correct answer. In the Grading Settings, instructors can choose which configuration tasks are graded for each step. The next two figures show the grading settings and a self-check question.
There isn’t room on this blog post to show all the features of LabHUB Network Emulator, but what I’ve seen so far has me excited to incorporate Network Emulator labs into my Guide to Networking Essentials book. It has the right mix of accurate networking simulation capabilities and teaching and learning features for most introductory networking courses and certifications. And development is ongoing, so new features and capabilities are being added based on instructor and student feedback.
Speaking of development, I had a conversation with the chief architect of Network Emulator and asked him what was the most challenging aspect of developing the tool. He said, “I’d say the most challenging aspect was providing a SaaS platform where authors could create a multitude of diverse labs visually that students could access from anywhere in the world.” I bet that was a challenge! And it’s one of the things that makes Network Emulator so unique; whether you’re a student or instructor, if you have a web browser, you can use it.
Coming soon: the LabHUB Network Emulator will be available in MindTap for our next edition CompTIA Cloud+ and CompTIA A+ titles. In the meantime, visit our Computing & Information Technology page to find more engaging course materials from Cengage.
Megan O’Meara, M.D., head of early-stage development at Pfizer Oncology, is deeply committed to scientific innovation, mentorship, and breaking barriers for the next generation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) industries. In this conversation, Megan shares her journey in oncology, leadership philosophy, and vision of a world where people with cancer live better and longer lives.
Megan O’Meara, M.D.
Head of Early-Stage Development, Pfizer Oncology
What drew you to pursue a career in oncology and what is it that inspires you most about working in this field?
I’ve always been curious about science. My grandfather was a pediatrician, and as a child he read books to me about the history of medicine. In high school, I worked in cancer research labs, and that gave me exposure to the field from an early age. By the time I was in college, there were exciting advancements happening, including broader use of tumor profiling and targeted therapies. I felt there was a huge opportunity to transform cancer treatment, and I knew I wanted to be part of it. I pursued my medical degree and later went into academic research before transitioning to industry, where I felt I might have the broadest impact on the greatest number of people.
Women make up less than 30% of the global STEM workforce. What has your experience been as a woman in research?
Being a woman in a historically male-dominated field can come with unique challenges and opportunities. There were times when I was the only woman in the room. On occasion, I felt like the only one leaving the office on time to make dinner for my family and worried about missing opportunities or important conversations that were happening when I wasn’t there.
Over time, I learned to accept the situation and be confident in setting personal boundaries. I inserted myself in different ways and advanced my career without losing who I am. I developed the confidence to be me — bringing my most authentic and whole self to work. Now, I encourage and empower other women to do the same.
As an industry, there’s still a long way to go. At a recent oncology conference, research showed that men presenting were introduced as “Dr.” while women were introduced by their first names. It seems nuanced, but it reflects a larger issue. Even in a field like oncology, where we pride ourselves on progress, bias still exists in subtle but pervasive ways. Things are improving, but they’re not where they should be yet. That’s why I feel so strongly about uplifting other women and creating opportunities for women in science.
How are you working to change the research field to be more inclusive and supportive of women?
There were many people, particularly female leaders, throughout my career who saw my potential and championed my advancement. I try to do the same for all my team at Pfizer, including the talented women that work with me. I mention their names when I’m in a room with other leaders; I look for opportunities that will showcase their potential.
Outside of work, I volunteer at my daughter’s elementary school to organize events that engage students with science, such as bringing in Pfizer scientists to demonstrate lab techniques like DNA isolation and talk about how science can be applied to areas they are interested in. Studies show that girls start losing interest in science around age 12, so, if we can work to address that early, it can make a difference in improving female representation in STEM fields.
I’m also active in the Society for Immunotherapy in Cancer (SITC) Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network. I’ve spoken about my journey in research at their events, which are often attended by many women in both academia and industry who are at a crossroads in their career. They’re wondering, “Can I do this?” Hearing people’s stories about how they made it work can be incredibly inspiring.
As head of the division at Pfizer Oncology responsible for developing innovative cancer treatments, what excites you most about the work your team is currently doing?
Right now, I’m particularly excited about our work in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). ADCs are innovative cancer medicines that specifically target cancer cells and deliver cancer-killing drugs directly to tumors, while sparing more of the healthy cells in the body.
ADCs have been the foundation of my career, having worked in the space for almost 15 years. This depth of experience, knowledge, and history is being applied now to what we’re doing at Pfizer to advance the field. And we’ve had a huge impact already — bringing treatments to people with blood cancer for the first time in decades and significantly changing the standard of care across tumor types.
Now, as a company, we’re asking, “How do we make ADCs even safer and more effective?” We’re exploring new drug linkers, different payloads, and novel combinations, all with the goal of giving patients better options. This kind of innovation is why I pursued a career in STEM — it’s tremendously fulfilling to be bringing us closer to a world where people with cancer live better and longer lives.
How is Pfizer uniquely positioned to make progress in cancer treatment?
I like to say Pfizer embodies a spirit of innovation and we have some of the most brilliant and dedicated scientists I’ve ever worked with. It’s rare to work at a company, even in big pharma, that has demonstrated leadership across multiple modalities of science the way Pfizer has. We’re constantly learning, adapting, and investing in what’s next across a wide pipeline of products. It’s an amazing powerhouse to be a part of.
For me, our success is also due to a culture — set by our executives — where each person has the opportunity to thrive. Chris Boshoff, chief scientific officer and president, R&D, is passionate about showcasing the team and giving people opportunities. I’ve experienced the same from other leaders. When I first joined Pfizer, Sally Susman, executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer, introduced herself and said, “Next time you’re in New York, come meet my team.” She brought me into her leadership meeting and helped me build connections. These are just two of many people that have gone out of their way to create an environment where I am able to bring my best self to work, and I am doing the same to ensure my team of scientists has everything they need to succeed.
What do you hope for the future of women in STEM?
I hope that in 20 years, women don’t have to navigate as many barriers. I hope everyone can bring their whole self to the table without feeling like they need to sacrifice a piece of their personal life to succeed. Instead of feeling impostor syndrome around big opportunities, I hope women ask themselves, “Why not me?”
We still have work to do, but I truly believe we’re making progress. By supporting women, we’re supporting a better industry and better science.
This is a question every educator has faced before. To be fair, it’s a valid question. Students are naturally curious, and it’s normal for them to wonder about the knowledge that they’re acquiring. The real issue is how we, as educators, choose to respond to them.
In my experience, teachers have two standard replies to this question:
They’ll try to explain the subject in detail, which results in a long-winded answer that confuses their students and doesn’t satisfy them.
They’ll argue that the information is important because it’s on an upcoming test, which typically leaves students feeling frustrated and disengaged.
Either way, the result is the same: Students lose all legitimacy in the lesson and they’re unable to connect with the content.
If we want our students to engage with the material in a way that’s memorable, meaningful, and fun, then we need to help them discover why it is important. Teachers can accomplish this by introducing real-world connections into the lesson, which reveal how the information that students acquire can be practically applied to real-world problems.
Without building these connections between the concepts our students learn and real-world applications, students lose interest in what they are learning. Using the strategies below, you can start to build student investment into your classroom content.
The everyday enigma
Use everyday items that operate with mystery and frame your lesson around them. Your students’ curiosity will drive them to learn more about the object and how it functions. This allows students to see that the small concepts they are learning are leading to the understanding of an object that they interact with daily. When choosing an item, pick one that is familiar and one that has multiple STEM elements. For example, you could use a copper wire to discuss electrical currents, a piece of an automobile to explore chemistry and combustion, or shark teeth when teaching about animal adaptations and food chains.
Interest intersect
Connect your students’ personal hobbies to the subject matter. For instance, if you have a student who is really passionate about soccer, try having them create a mini poster that connects the sport to the concepts learned in class. This gets them to think creatively about the purpose of content. This strategy has the additional benefit of helping teachers learn more about their students, creating opportunities to build communication and rapport.
Get an expert
Invite professionals (scientists, engineers, etc.) to talk with your class. This gives students a first-hand account of how the concepts they are learning can be applied to different careers. If you’re teaching chemistry, consider inviting a nurse or doctor to share how this subject applies to human health. If you’re teaching math, a local architect can expound on how angles and equations literally shape the homes in which students live. Not only does this provide a real-world example of students, but it helps schools connect with their community, creating vital relationships in the process.
Problem to progress
Create an engineering investigation based on a local, real-world problem. For instance, I once knew a music teacher who was frustrated because pencils would regularly fall off his music stands. I challenged my 5th grade students to create a solution using the engineering design process. Not only did they succeed, but the experience allowed my students to see the real-world results of the inventions they created. When students understand that their work can make a tangible difference, it completely changes their relationship with the material.
Project-based learning
Project-based learning is driven by inquiry and student ownership. This allows students to make contributions to the real world through hands-on investigations. What makes these inquiry-focused lessons so useful is that students are the driving force behind them. They choose how to approach the information, what questions to pursue, and what solutions they want to test. This makes the learning intensely personal while taking advantage of students’ natural curiosity, creativity, and critical-thinking skills. If you need a little help getting started, consider using one of these Blue Apple projects from Inquiry Outpost.
By linking our STEM lessons to real-world experiences, teachers can provide a meaningful answer to the age-old question of, “Why are we learning this?” We can equip our students with the skills to not only navigate everyday challenges but also create positive change within their own communities. So, let’s empower young learners to see the relevance of STEM in their lives, and lay a strong learning foundation that will support them well beyond the classroom.
Michael Grieb, Van Andel Institute for Education
Michael Grieb is a Learning Specialist at Van Andel Institute for Education, a Michigan-based education nonprofit dedicated to creating classrooms where curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking thrive.
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Hancy Maxis spent 17 years incarcerated in New York prisons. He knew that he needed to have a plan for when he got out.
“Once I am back in New York City, once I am back in the economy, how will I be marketable?” he said. “For me, math was that pathway.”
In 2015, Maxis completed a bachelor’s degree in math through the Bard Prison Initiative, an accredited college-in-prison program. He wrote his senior project about how to use game theory to advance health care equity, after observing the disjointed care his mom received when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. (She’s now recovered.)
When he was released in 2018, Maxis immediately applied for a master’s program at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. He graduated and now works as the assistant director of operations at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. He helped guide the hospital’s response to Covid.
Maxis is one of many people I’ve spoken to in recent years while reporting on the role that learning math can play in the lives of those who are incarcerated. Math literacy often contributes to economic success: A 2021 study of more than 5,500 adults found that participants made $4,062 more per year for each correct answer on an eight-question math test.
While there don’t appear to be any studies specifically on the effect of math education for people in prison, a pile of research shows that prison education programs lower recidivism rates among participants and increase their chances of employment after they’re released.
Hancy Maxis spent 17 years incarcerated in New York prisons. He now works as the assistant director of operations at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Credit: Yunuen Bonaparte for The Hechinger Report
Plus, math — and education in general — can be empowering. A 2022 study found that women in prison education programs reported higher self-esteem, a greater sense of belonging and more hope for the future than women who had never been incarcerated and had not completed post-secondary education.
Yet many people who enter prison have limited math skills and have had poor relationships with math in school. More than half (52 percent) of those incarcerated in U.S. prisons lack basic numeracy skills, such as the ability to do multiplication with larger numbers, long division or interpret simple graphs, according to the most recent numbers from the National Center for Educational Statistics. The absence of these basic skills is even more pronounced among Black and Hispanic people in prison, who make up more than half of those incarcerated in federal prisons.
In my reporting, I discovered that there are few programs offering math instruction in prison, and those that do exist typically include few participants. Bard’s highly competitive program, for example, is supported primarily through private donations, and is limited to seven of New York’s 42 prisons. The recent expansion of federal Pell Grants to individuals who are incarcerated presents an opportunity for more people in prison to get these basic skills and better their chances for employment after release.
Alyssa Knight, executive director of the Freedom Education Project Puget Sound, which she co-founded while incarcerated, said that for years, educational opportunities in prison were created primarily by people who were incarcerated, who wrote to professors and educators to ask if they might send materials or teach inside the prison. But public recognition of the value of prison education, including math, is rising, and the Pell Grant expansion and state-level legislationhave made it easier for colleges to set up programs for people serving time. Now, Knight said, “Colleges are seeking prisons.”
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Jeffrey Abramowitz understands firsthand how math can help someone after prison. After completing a five-year stint in a federal prison, his first post-prison job was teaching math to adults who were preparing to take the GED exam.
Fast forward nearly a decade, and Abramowitz is now the CEO of The Petey Greene Program, an organization that provides one-on-one tutoring, educational supports and programs in reading, writing and now math, to help people in prison and who have left prison receive the necessary education requirements for a high school diploma, college acceptance or career credentials.
The average Petey Greene student’s math skills are at a fourth- or fifth-grade level, according to Abramowitz, which is in line with the average for “justice-impacted” learners; the students tend to struggle with basic math such as addition and multiplication.
“You can’t be successful within most industries without being able to read, write and do basic math,” Abramowitz said. “We’re starting to see more blended programs that help people find a career pathway when they come home — and the center of all this is math and reading.”
Abramowitz and his team noticed this lack of math skills particularly among students in vocational training programs, such as carpentry, heating and cooling and commercial driving. To qualify to work in these fields, these students often need to pass a licensing test, requiring math and reading knowledge.
The nonprofit offers “integrated education training” to help students learn the relevant math for their professions. For instance, a carpentry teacher will teach students how to use a saw in or near a classroom where a math teacher explains fractions and how they relate to the measurements needed to cut a piece of wood.
“They may be able to do the task fine, but they can’t pass the test because they don’t know the math,” Abramowitz said.
Math helped Paul Morton after he left prison, he told me. When he began his 10.5 years in prison, he only could do GED-level math. After coming across an introductory physics book in the third year of his time in prison, he realized he didn’t have the math skills needed for the science described in it.
He asked his family to send him math textbooks and, over the seven years until his release, taught himself algebra and calculus.
The recent expansion of federal Pell Grants to individuals who are incarcerated presents an opportunity for more people in prison to get these basic skills and better their chances for employment after release. Credit: Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via Getty Images
“I relentlessly spent six hours on one problem one day,” he said. “I was determined to do it, to get it right.”
I met Morton through the organization the Prison Mathematics Project, which helped him develop his math knowledge inside prison by connecting him with an outside mathematician. After his release from a New York prison in 2023, he moved to Rochester, New York, and is hoping to take the actuarial exam, which requires a lot of math. He continues to study differential equations on his own.
The Prison Mathematics Project delivers math materials and programs to people in prison, and connects them with mathematicians as mentors. (It also brings math professors, educators and enthusiasts to meet program participants through “Pi Day” events; I attended one such event in 2023 when I produced a podcast episode about the program, and the organization paid for my travel and accommodations.)
The organization was started in 2015 by Christopher Havens, who was then incarcerated at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Havens’ interest in math puzzles, and then in algebra, calculus and other areas of mathematics, was ignited early in his 25-year- term when a prison volunteer slid some sudoku puzzles under his door.
“I had noticed all these changes happening inside of me,” Havens told me. “My whole life, I was searching for that beauty through drugs and social acceptance … When I found real beauty [in math], it got me to practice introspection.”
As he fell in love with math, he started corresponding with mathematicians to help him solve problems, and talking to other men at the prison to get them interested too. He created a network of math resources for people in prisons, which became the Prison Mathematics Project.
The group’s website says it helps people in prison use math to help with “rebuilding their lives both during and after their incarceration.”
But Ben Jeffers, its executive director, has noticed that the message doesn’t connect with everyone in prison. Among the 299 Prison Mathematics Project participants on whom the program has data, the majority — 56 percent — are white, he told me, while 25 percent are Black, 10 percent are Hispanic, 2 percent are Asian and 6 percent are another race or identity. Ninety-three percent of project participants are male.
Yet just 30 percent of the U.S. prison population is white, while 35 percent of those incarcerated are Black, 31 percent are Hispanic and 4 percent are of other races, according to the United State Sentencing Commission. (The racial makeup of the program’s 18 female participants at women’s facilities is much more in line with that of the prison population at large.)
“[It’s] the same issues that you have like in any classroom in higher education,” said Jeffers, who is finishing his master’s in math in Italy. “At the university level and beyond, every single class is majority white male.”
He noted that anxiety about math tends to be more acute among women and people of any gender who are Black, Hispanic, or from other underrepresented groups, and may keep them from signing up for the program.
Sherry Smith understands that kind of anxiety. She didn’t even want to step foot into a math class. When she arrived at Southern Maine Women’s Reentry Center in December 2021, she was 51, had left high school when she was 16, and had only attended two weeks of a ninth grade math class.
“I was embarrassed that I had dropped out,” she said. “I hated to disclose that to people.”
Smith decided to enroll in the prison’s GED program because she could do the classes one-on-one with a friendly and patient teacher. “It was my time,” she said. “Nobody else was listening, I could ask any question I needed.”
In just five months, Smith completed her GED math class. She said she cried on her last day. Since 2022, she’s been pursuing an associate’s degree in human services — from prison — through a remote program with Washington County Community College.
In Washington, Prison Mathematics Project founder Havens is finishing his sentence and continuing to study math. (Havens has been granted a clemency hearing and may be released as early as this year.) Since 2020, he has published four academic papers: three in math and one in sociology. He works remotely from prison as a staff research associate in cryptography at the University of California, Los Angeles, and wrote a math textbook about continued fractions.
Havens is still involved in the Prison Mathematics Project, but handed leadership of the program over to Jeffers in October 2023. Now run from outside the prison, it is easier for the program to bring resources and mentorship to incarcerated students.
“For 25 years of my life, I can learn something that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to learn in any other circumstances,” Havens said. “So I decided that I would, for the rest of my life, study mathematics.”
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are the center of innovation, fueling advancements that drive economic growth and improve lives. Yet, despite decades of progress, the gender gap in STEM remains a barrier.
Gloria L. Blackwell
CEO, American Association of University Women (AAUW)
Women, particularly women of color, are still underrepresented in these critical fields, and recent efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education threaten to push us back even further. If we are serious about securing America’s place as a global leader in innovation, we should be doubling down on investing in women — not gutting the very programs that support their success.
The data is clear: Diverse companies are 39% more likely to drive better solutions than those that are not. In fields like artificial intelligence, where racial and gender biases have led to flawed algorithms with real-world consequences, the need for a broad range of perspectives is undeniable. Diverse scientific teams are more likely to challenge assumptions, identify blind spots, and develop creative solutions that benefit everyone. Yet, despite these clear advantages, women continue to face systemic barriers that push them out of STEM careers.
Encouraging our women and girls
According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), women, particularly women of color, leave STEM fields at significantly higher rates than men. In fact, 43% of women leave the STEM workforce after their first child. While the percentage of women in STEM occupations has grown modestly from 15% to 18% over the last decade, men’s participation continues to outpace them. This represents an enormous loss of talent, innovation, and economic opportunity.
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has been on the front lines of this fight for over a century. Our commitment to supporting women in STEM is deeply rooted in our history, from raising $100,000 to buy a gram of radium for Marie Curie’s groundbreaking research — making her the only woman to win the Nobel Prize twice — to our present-day efforts funding the next generation of women scientists, engineers, and technologists. Through our Community Action Grants, we support organizations like Self-eSTEM, an Oakland-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering Black, Indigenous, and girls of color through hands-on STEM experiences. These programs are not just feel-good initiatives — they are essential pipelines ensuring that the brightest minds, regardless of gender or race, can contribute to the future of science and technology.
But today, our progress is under attack. Across the country, lawmakers are dismantling DEI programs in higher education, rolling back decades of hard-fought progress for women and marginalized communities. These efforts are not just misguided; they directly impact our nation’s ability to compete in a global economy. When we eliminate DEI initiatives, we don’t just shut doors on individual women — we close off entire avenues of discovery, limit our technological advancements, and stifle economic growth.
Doubling down on women in STEM
This is not the time to retreat; it’s time to fight. We should be doubling down on investments in women in STEM, expanding opportunities for historically excluded groups, and ensuring that STEM fields reflect the full diversity of our nation. Our economy, our national security, and our future depend on it.
AAUW will not stand by as decades of progress are dismantled. We will continue to advocate for policies and programs that support women and underrepresented communities in STEM. We call on policymakers, educators, and industry leaders to do the same. The future of American innovation depends on it.
Imagine a classroom in which young students are excitedly discussing their future aspirations and a career in medicine feels like a tangible goal rather than a distant dream. Now, imagine that most of the students come from historically marginalized communities — Black, Hispanic and Indigenous populations — that disproportionately face higher rates of chronic illness, shorter life expectancies and poorer health outcomes.
For many students from underrepresented backgrounds, a medical career feels out of reach. The path to becoming a doctor is daunting, full of obstacles like financial hardship, lack of mentorship and systemic inequities in education. Many students are sidelined long before they consider medical school, while those who persist face an uphill battle competing against peers with far more resources and support.
To mitigate these disparities, we must look beyond our hospitals and medical schools and into the places where young minds are shaped: our K-12 classrooms. Early exposure to health care careers can ignite curiosity and show students that they belong in places where they have historically been excluded.
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Organizations like the Florida State University College of Medicine, with its “Science Students Together Reaching Instructional Diversity and Excellence” (SSTRIDE) program, are leading the way in breaking down barriers to medical careers for underrepresented students. SSTRIDE introduces middle and high school students to real-world medical environments, giving them firsthand exposure to health care settings that might otherwise feel distant or inaccessible. Then, the program threads together long-term mentorship, academic enrichment and extracurricular opportunities to build the confidence and skills students need to reach medical school.
The 15 White Coats program in Louisiana takes a complementary but equally meaningful approach: transforming classroom environments by introducing culturally relevant imagery and literature that reflect the diversity of the medical profession. For many students, seeing doctors who look like them — featured in posters or books — can challenge internalized doubts and dismantle societal messages that suggest they don’t belong in medicine. Through fundraising efforts and scholarships, other initiatives from 15 White Coats tackle the financial barriers that disproportionately hinder “minority physician aspirants” from pursuing medical careers.
The impact of these programs can be profound. Research shows that students exposed to careers in science or medicine at an early age are far more likely to pursue these fields later in life. And medical students who belong to underrepresented groups are the most likely to return to underserved communities to practice. Their presence can improve communication, foster patient trust and drive innovation in addressing health challenges unique to those communities.
These programs can even have a ripple effect on families and entire communities. When young people pursue careers in medicine, they become role models for siblings, friends and neighbors. This creates a culture of aspiration in which success feels both possible and accessible, shifting societal perceptions and inspiring future generations to aim higher.
But programs like 15 White Coats and SSTRIDE cannot thrive without sustained investment. We need personal and financial commitments to dismantle the systemic barriers that prevent students from underrepresented groups from entering medicine.
Policymakers and educators must step up. Federal and state educational funding should prioritize grants for schools that partner with hospitals, medical schools and health care organizations. These partnerships should offer hands-on experiences like shadowing programs, medical summer camps and health care-focused career fairs. Medical professionals also have a role to play — they can volunteer as mentors or guest speakers, offering valuable guidance and demystifying the path to a medical career.
As a medical student, I know how transformative these experiences can be. They can inspire students to envision themselves in roles they might never have imagined and gain the confidence to pursue dreams that once seemed out of reach.
Let’s be clear, representation in medicine is not about optics. It’s about improving health outcomes and driving meaningful change. Building a stronger, more diverse pipeline to the medical profession is not just an educational priority. It’s a public health imperative.
An investment in young minds today is an investment in a health care system that represents, understands and serves everyone. Equity in health care starts long before a patient walks into a doctor’s office. It begins in the classroom.
Surya Pulukuri is a member of the class of 2027 at Harvard Medical School.
This story about health equity was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s weekly newsletter.
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
