In the winter of 2019, a handful of mathematics educators in the Merrimack Valley joined together to create the Math Mill, a math teachers' circle serving teachers in the Merrimack Valley region in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  Since then, we have welcomed educators from Lowell, Londonderry, Haverhill,  Nashua, Newburyport, Chelmsford, Boston, and many other local areas. 

The Math Mill meets at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Well-known for its textile mills, Lowell inspires us to think about the connections and relationships among educators. We think of our sessions as a way to weave even more threads between all of us - threads of curiosity, excitement, and persistence. 

Our sessions run about two hours. After introductions (and enjoying some Dunks, as all New Englanders do), we are presented with a problem from a local math educator. That facilitator gives us some direction, but generally the sessions are very open-ended and often spin into a vibrant tapestry of related math ideas.

Merrimack Valley is a bi-state region that includes surrounding towns and cities that span the Merrimack River in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In starting the Math Mill, we aim to support teachers in districts with historically disadvantaged students, such as Lawrence and Lowell. In both these cities, more than 74% of students are considered high needs, meaning that they are at risk of educational failure or otherwise in need of special assistance and support. This category includes students living in poverty, students who are performing far below grade level, students who are homeless or living in foster care, students who have disabilities, and students who are English Learners.