Shifting Math Narratives Through Afterschool: Insights From our Virtual Panel

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When a young person says “I’m not a math person,” it’s rarely the math itself standing in the way. It’s the mindset. That idea ran through STEM Next’s recent Shifting Math Narratives Through Afterschool panel, which brought together Michaela Leslie-Rule of the Gates Foundation, Nick Monzi of Learn Fresh, and Chris Barr of Takeda Pharmaceuticals, moderated by STEM Next’s Camsie McAdams.

The conversation coincided with the release of STEM Next’s new publication, Factoring in Afterschool: A Critical Variable in America’s Math Strategy, which makes the case for reimagining where and how math learning happens. The panel brought the brief to life, showing how afterschool and summer programs are uniquely positioned to build math confidence and change the story students tell themselves about the subject.

Changing the story kids hear about math

Michaela Leslie-Rule explained that math learning is as much emotional as it is intellectual. “One of the opportunities around mindset shift and around narrative shift… is to really engage with those beliefs and emotions in ways that help kids and parents communicate and behave in ways that foster… more positive feelings about the learning experience.”

She noted that the problem often comes not from children but from the adults around them: “Even when you say it out in the street, and you’re like, I work in math, or I’m a math person, people… cringe a little bit. And it’s not the kids that cringe, it’s the grown-ups.”

Confidence unlocked through afterschool

Nick Monzi described what happens when students connect with math through something they already love, like sports. Through a national partnership with STEM Next, Learn Fresh scaled NBA Math Hoops to afterschool programs across 10 states. Educators reported measurable outcomes, including a 28% gain in math fluency and significant growth in problem-solving and persistence. “I think the key word is confidence, and it’s confidence that is unlocked when a student is given the opportunity to engage in math in a way that is relevant to them… When kids are playing NBA Math Hoops, they’re fully invested.”

He shared what a Boston Public Schools partner told him after an NBA Math Hoops tournament: “He said he saw students sweating like they just played a basketball game. He loved that because it showed they were so invested in the experience. It meant something to them.”

Why math confidence matters for the workforce

Chris Barr connected the conversation to future careers. “Math fluency and confidence are critical. We need future employees who can engage with problems, analyze them, and persist. That’s far more important than just memorization.”

From a funder’s perspective, he added, the challenge is structural: “This is a systems problem. We need to think beyond funding individual programs and build the infrastructure that allows solutions to scale.”

A path forward

The panel closed with a call for action across sectors. Whether it’s helping young people see themselves as capable problem-solvers, training educators to make math relevant, or investing in the networks that sustain these opportunities, the message was consistent: afterschool and summer programs are one of the most powerful yet underused strategies for tackling our national math challenge.

As McAdams summarized, “The message today is undeniable: investing in out-of-school time is a direct, scalable strategy to solve the math crisis.”

You can access the full recording of this conversation here.

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