ORISE’s Math Exploration Mini-Academy helps students expand math skills

Who says math can’t be fun? The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education’s (ORISE) Math Exploration Mini-Academy, held June 23-24, 2025, gave elementary school students the chance to learn new math skills, while also incorporating challenges, prizes and plenty of excitement!

The first day of the event was for rising 1st – 3rd graders, while the second day was geared toward rising 4th – 6th graders. While some of the activities were similar on both days, there were also some unique opportunities for the different age groups. From measuring things around the room with rulers to making shapes out of Play-Doh, all the students were amazed with all the activities they got to do. The overwhelming favorite activity was the Estimation Olympics.

As the students learned how to estimate, they were given a list of three challenges that would combine to make up the competition. Each student had to estimate how many jellybeans were in a jar, how many jumping jacks they could do in 30 seconds, and how many paper clips tall they were. As the students began to make their predictions, the room was buzzing with different guesses. In the end, many of the participants were shocked with how accurate their estimates were. While no one quite guessed how many jellybeans were in the jar or how many paper clips made up their height, Charlotte Du, a rising third grader at Farragut Intermediate School, accurately predicted how many jumping jacks she could do.

“We got to do three different stations, and we got to rotate to all the stations,” said Du. “I liked them all, but my favorite was getting to do my jumping jacks. I like the way the teachers talk about the activities, and it happens so quick because you are having a lot of fun.”

Not only did Math Exploration provide students with new math knowledge to use when they return to school, but they thoroughly had fun while performing all the different tasks.

“We learned about how math is in history and how the roman numerals were created,” said Farida Guerguis, a rising sixth grader at River’s Edge Christian Academy. “I wanted to spend the day here doing math, not only by myself, but with other people. I’m glad that I got to learn more so that when I start sixth grade, I will know what to do.”

The instructors also learned some things that they can take back to their classrooms. Maria Rhodes, a high school teacher at Chattanooga Christian School, led the course while Felicia Lee and Keilani Villalba served as assistant instructors. Lee is set to begin her first year of teaching this fall, and Villalba is currently a student at the University of Tennessee and aspires to be a special education teacher.

“It’s really fun getting to work with the younger kids who have a lot of energy and who are eager to learn things. Everything is new to them, so everything we talk about is cool and exciting,” said Rhodes. “I wanted this opportunity for the kids to be about seeing how math is in a wide variety of subject fields, so we talked about math in history, math in science, math in art, and we did some math games as well.”

For the instructors, seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces was rewarding, and it showed them that they were able to make a difference in the lives of the students, even if it was only for the day. They hope that the lessons the kids learned will stick with them for the upcoming school year, and even well beyond that.

“STEM has become such a prevalent part of education, and I think it’s really good for us to be able to instill in kids while they are young that math is something that you can enjoy, and it’s something you can do well if you practice,” said Lee. “Watching them have their little “aha” moments and feel like they have accomplished something is a really big thing for me. During one of the activities, we used Play-Doh, and the kids were just having the time of their lives, but didn’t even realize they were learning geometry at the same time.”

Each summer, ORISE offers exciting events, activities, and programs for K-12 students to engage in STEM education opportunities that build a solid foundation for future STEM careers. Through the STEM academies, students are exposed to a variety of engaging activities that supplement classroom learning and encourage an interest in STEM-related subjects. Be sure to check out our website to learn more about all the STEM academies for students that ORISE offers.