By Alina Sultan
A new club based at the Willow Grove Elementary School has been approved and is set to have its first meeting on Wednesday, November 15. This club, “Math 4 Girls”, originally founded by Nidhi Ram in Lower Moreland, Pennsylvania, was created in order to encourage young girls to pursue an interest in STEM and to help bridge the gender gap in STEM related fields. Now a senior at Lower Moreland High School, Nidhi began “Math 4 Girls” after seeing a drastic difference in the amount of boys compared to the amount of girls in her math class in her freshman year and she is hopeful for its future and its growth. The Math 4 Girls website reads, “...we hope that Math 4 Girls can be the first step in bridging the gender gap in higher-level STEM education.” So far the club is in 5 school districts across the nation, and hopefully, it will continue to grow into an organization with a lasting and meaningful impact. Each branch is led by women in high school with the goal to inspire and instill confidence in the next generation of scientists and mathematicians and act as role models for young girls.
Myself (Alina Sultan) and my friend, Norelys Arizabal have started a branch for this club in the Hackettstown School District to spread Math 4 Girls’ mission and to empower girls. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to encourage and motivate those in our district, and to possibly create a lasting effect on the community. This club will teach young girls math lessons and computer science problems that are not typically encountered in schools, while also giving them a safe space after school to pursue their interests in math. These club meetings will take place on Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00, and are for 4th grade girls who are interested in joining! If you know anyone who is interested, please contact “Math 4 Girls” teacher advisor, Ms. Rosanio, and she can give you more information.