Math Mania Makes Way to Northern Sask.

Math Mania was alive and well in Northern Saskatchewan recently, with Arts & Science employees delivering hands-on, interactive math educational activities to students in First Nations schools at Little Red River, Montreal Lake, and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band at Stanley Mission.

The initiative was held in conjunction with Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Science Festivals, which are large, one-day events for Grade 7 to 12 students at First Nations schools across Saskatchewan. The Arts & Science convoy to Northern Saskatchewan took place May 7 to 10 and involved Raj Srinivasan, head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Stavros Stavrou, a graduate student in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics; and Lana Elias, director of Science Outreach with the Division of Science, College of Arts and Science.

All three cited the trip as both eye-opening and valuable, both on personal and institutional levels.

"I didn't realize there was such a disconnect between these schools and the schools I attended just a few hours away while I was growing up,” said Stravrou. “I think our visit was the first step in building a bridge between these communities and the University of Saskatchewan. We showed the students the necessity of receiving a higher education. It was rewarding to see how excited the students were to learn science and mathematics, and the teachers appreciated our support. The trip was not just about educating these communities, it was about educating ourselves.”

Elias noted that, come fall, the College of Arts & Science will be hosting some of the same students they met during Math Mania on campus. She said their partnership with FSIN on this project, and the connections made with students, teachers and elders in the communities they visited, were examples of ways the Division of Science is helping advance Aboriginal outreach and engagement objectives on campus.

Added Srinivasan: “I am totally convinced that events such as this are one of the ways to emphasize the importance science and math education to Aboriginal communities. The connections we made with the students, teachers and the community will hopefully pave the way to further future activities by the Division of Science.”

Group picture of students and Arts & Science Math Mania instructors at Montreal Lake