SF Math Circle Program Makes Math Fun and Accessible for Students and Teachers

The Dutch mathematician Edsger W. Dijkstra once said, “There should be no such thing as boring mathematics.” But unfortunately, in many classrooms, there is. San Francisco State University’s SF Math Circle program is taking decisive steps to change that by providing engaging and interactive after-school math workshops for elementary and middle school students.

The SF Math Circle (SFMC) is run by the University’s Center for Science and Mathematics Education (CSME). The program, a collaboration between the College of Science & Engineering (CoSE) and the Graduate College of Education (GCOE) is transformative for the enrolled students, and also for the SF State students who are teachers in the program. They often become so inspired by the program that they decide to pursue math teacher certification to become math teachers in their communities. This career shift is an important one for California school districts, which are experiencing an acute shortage of math teachers throughout the state.

Fifteen years ago, SF Math Circle was created by SF State Mathematics professor Matthias Beck and University of San Francisco Mathematics professor Paul Zeitz out of the desire to support equity in STEM education and educational instruction. CSME’s current director, Larry Horvath, sees the value of synergy between the two colleges involved in the program, CoSE and GCOE. “We've worked hard to collaborate on increasing the pipeline of science, math, and computer science teachers,” says Larry.

SF Math Circle is low-cost and open to all San Francisco students from 2nd-8th grade. Interactive puzzles and games are used in small groups, with increasing levels of difficulty which are driven by the students themselves. "We believe math is a lot bigger and more fun than just numbers and arithmetic," says SF Math Circle director David Klein. "Math is fundamentally a way of thinking: the kind of thinking you do when you're trying to figure things out." He adds, "Our goal is to help students develop their overall ability to think through, and solve any kind of problem, and to enjoy doing that kind of thinking."