By Eurie Hwang
This August, Villitracia, Triza, and Peris will be off to spend a week at the Maseno University Maths Camp. They have a month-long break in August and jumped at this opportunity to immerse themselves in mathematics, which two of them consider their most challenging course.
The most exciting detail of this announcement is that for the first time in their lives, the girls will be able to explore outside Nakuru. The camp takes place on a university campus, which is a good way to encourage the girls to think about higher education. There is nothing better for expanding their knowledge than the gift of travel! They will be chaperoned by a math teacher from their boarding school, Christ the King Secondary school.
The annual Maseno Maths Camp will be held on 18th – 24th August in Maseno, Kenya, which is about five hours from Nakuru. Both Kenyan and international mathematics teachers will help the students learn new concepts with the latest mathematical software. One of the main goals of the camp is to make math more accessible and beneficial for girls to pursue. They will experience an environment charged with technologies that may not be available in their hometowns.
It is especially important for Kenyan girls to be exposed to camps such as Maths Camp because of the misconception that males are naturally better at math than females. Of course, such bias exists around the globe including the States. A 2009 study by American Society for Quality (ASQ) showed, only five percent of girls ages 8-17 expressed interest in an engineering career compared to the 24 percent of boys who expressed interest. An early introduction to the values of math may motivate the girls to break through this cultural bias.
The cost of camp is $50 for participants from the East African community and covers boarding, food, and camp instruction. Villantricia, Triza, and Peris’ costs are covered by the generosity of St. Paul’s Academic Scholarship’s donors like you. Thank you!
For more information about Maths Camp, visit their website.
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