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MathPath 2013
held at Macalester College
St Paul MN
June 30 – July 28
Starting
in 2008, we have done an online anonymous post-camp survey of parents. We
asked for numerical ratings and for written answers. The numerical results are given here.
For
written answers, we first asked parents if they were willing to send us
separately a statement about MathPath where we could quote them by name
or initials. One parent sent us
such a comment, and it is first below. Within
the anonymous survey, we also asked how they would explain MathPath to
others who ask. In most cases, parents said we could post their answer. A selection of their answers are farther below.
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MathPath is a summer camp for students gifted in mathematics who enjoy spending their time thinking about mathematics. The joy of doing math is a key part of the experience. It is not about competing, though there is room for competition, and there are many fun competitions spread throughout the camp. MathPath is where my daughter learned to believe that mathematics is a human endeavor. The staff cared about the learning, and also about the whole person. Mathematically, I would say she got a glimpse of the far-off peaks, and a recognition of what was already accessible, and what lay still a long way off. I was very pleased with the emphasis on the history of mathematics. The program is well-rounded in this way. It discourages a kind of technocratic approach in favor of a broader, liberal arts approach. I so appreciate that there are teachers there who want the students to read real books, and that my daughter came home with a list of all the things she now "needs to learn" (an expression of her own desire, borne of her experience) and with a willingness and excitement about picking up Euclid's Elements and books about Euler. This is just part of the gift you gave my daughter. Socially, I appreciated that the campers were largely unplugged for the duration of the camp, and that they were encouraged to look to each other for inspiration and fun. And they had a lot of fun! Spirit Week was among the highlights. There is nothing quite like sporting blue hair and face paint with your posse, or friends wearing togas to dinner on a whim.
It was an amazing experience. Would that every learning experience could be as rich, as well directed, as thoughtfully planned and executed as this one.
Alex Gray
The best camp; and we did experience several that are very good (our MathPath-er has older sibling)
Our child enjoyed himself very much while learning from dedicated mathematicians, some of whom are famous professors, all of whom were enthusiastic teachers.
If your kid really loves math and likes to hang around with peers who share the passion, this is the place to go. It is such a rich exprience, witnessed not only by my daughter's ever growing interest in math, but also by her sense of self-esteem.
My son attended MathPath twice and loved the experience. I was concerned that there would be too much repetition the second time. But there was enough choice in the breakouts and lots of new stuff in the plenaries to make it a worthwhile in terms of both learning and fun.
Mathpath was a phenomenal experience for my son. The math part was challenging, engaging, and inspiring. He came home with a list of books he wants so he can keep learning himself. The professors and staff are accessible and encouraging. I appreciate the focus on character development so that our kids think about themselves and how to interact with others. The level of attention is exactly the right balance -- not too intrusive but recognizing that this age group needs some supervision. As my son puts it, "The staff is well-acquainted with the middle school mind. They've done this before."
MathPath is a very enriching summer math program. My daughter came back after the four weeks, and I was amazed by the breadth of what she'd learned. Before, I had to force her to do math, and now, she does it willingly if it is challenging and engaging. Thank you to all the MathPath staff for what you have created: a well-rounded, eager student of mathematics!
It is a wonderful experience where math kids can hangout and be in a group of people who appreciate the things that they find interesting. The kids get to work with amazing faculty. When our son learned that John Conway was going to be there for a week he was so excited. When I try to explain it to people I just say, "it was like telling a pre-teen that Justin Beiber was going to be the counselor at camp." And the experience was even better than he imagined. We were concerned about him being away for so long, but by the end of camp he said that in his perfect world he would be able to stay there, but we could come visit on weekends if we missed him...thanks for am amazing community and experience.
It's a high-level, no-pressure camp for middle-school kids who love math and want to dig deeper with other kids just like them for a month over the summer. It was a very positive experience for our child and our family.
The Mathpath camp director [Dr T] kept parents informed of activities in weekly letters. That let us parents know what's going on in the camp without being there. Also there are lots of pictures posted online and we knew that kids had a variety of activities besides math. It's definitely a well-run camp.
MathPath builds the gifted brains beyond the subject of math. Teaches independence, appreciation and patience to savor the ocean of knowledge, expanding one month's hard work/sowing into years worth of reaping. In constant company of experts, kids gain strong foundation to chase their dreams and quench their thirst for knowledge. Mathpath helps kids scrape the tip of the iceberg to explore further. Our experience was valuable beyond our imagination for our child who is keen on returning.
Mathpath is an incredible program. From the application process to the letter home after camp is over, the organizers have carefully thought out and planned every aspect of the program to support the development of bright, curious children who so often are underserved even by schools and school systems with the best of intentions. The camp supports both the academic and social development of these children, and the staff and instructors are kind and enjoy what they do. They create a fun, creative, and supportive environment in which these children thrive.
My daughter has passion to math, mathpath camp is her favor summer camp, it boosts my daughter's enthusiasm, she loves to go to math camp again even though it will conflict with other arrangement next year.
It's a month-long math camp for kids who love math. Not only are they inspired by the amazing mathematicians that teach concepts that the kids will never see in a classroom, they get to take their first steps towards social and intellectual independence from their parents in a nurturing and safe environment that values them not just as a walking brain but as individual young people that happen to love math.
My daughter came back confident, happy and loving math even more than before, which I didn't think was possible.
I'd say: My son loved it! They organized it very well. My son has been talking about math all the time ever since he came back from the camp. It's the first time he went to a residential camp, but he never missed me. Their weekend activities were really good. It's not very expensive either compared with many other math camps.
Page created August 14, 2014
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