A Letter from our Founder

The Calculus Project is not just a program -- it is part of a movement.

Bob Moses, a civil rights activist and the founder of the Algebra Project wrote the following in his book, Radical Equations:  Math Literacy and Civil Rights.

Today, I want to argue, the most urgent social issue affecting poor people and people of color is economic access.  In today’s world, economic access and full citizenship depend crucially on math and science literacy.

Talent is distributed across all ZIP Codes.  Unfortunately, the same is not true of access and opportunity.

The Calculus Project (TCP) was created to give students of color and those who are economically disadvantaged an opportunity to embark on a very different academic trajectory.  TCP uses advanced math as a powerful pathway to success for historically underrepresented students.

Advancements in technology and globalization have changed the landscape of employment and our workforce.  Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have become the driving forces of innovation in America.  To ensure our role as a global leader, we must diversify the STEM pipeline.

According to the Center for American Progress, “Our nation is currently experiencing growing levels of income and wealth inequality, which are contributing to longstanding racial and ethnic gaps in education outcomes and other areas.  These large gaps, in combination with the significant demographic changes already underway, are threatening the economic future of our country.  Thus, closing racial and ethnic gaps is not only key to fulfilling the potential of people of color; it is also crucial to the well-being of our nation.”

Since its inception in 2009, TCP has provided over 10,000 students in Massachusetts and Florida a pathway to honors and advanced-level math courses.  Students who completed TCP are majoring in STEM disciplines in some of the most competitive colleges and universities in the country.

Teachers who were once skeptical about high-level achievement for low-income students and students of color are now strong advocates for the program.  Parents who did not know how to support their children have formed enduring partnerships with educators.

For individual students and for our nation, TCP allows us to say that we do indeed care deeply about every child.  No small thing!

Sincerely,

Adrian B. Mims Sr., Ed.D.
Founder and Executive Director
The Calculus Project Inc.