History

The Vermont State Mathematics Coalition was formed in 1990. It came about as a result of a grant from the Mathematical Sciences Education Board for which the Vermont Council of Teachers of Mathematics applied. The Mission Statement includes the statement: “The Coalition will be a resource throughout the state for schools, parents, businesses and government.”

When the State Department of Education decided to apply for a National Science Foundation Statewide Systemic Initiative grant, members of the Vermont State Mathematics Coalition played a role in writing the grant application. As a result, one small part of the $10 million, 5 year grant provided for Teacher/Business internships to be administered by the Coalition.

The Coalition already had experience in summer Teacher/Business internships when the NSF awarded the grant and the Vermont Institute for Science, Mathematics and Technology (VISMT) was created to administer it. Using McDonnell Douglas of St. Louis as a model, in the summer of 1992 the Coalition arranged for IBM in Essex Jct., to sponsor two summer internships. The Coalition advertised, made the initital selection for interviews, assisted in the interview process and provided funds for college credit at the University of Vermont. Ted Hall of So. Burlington High School and Barbara Rippa of Pine Ridge School in Williston were selected. Each intern was paid a stipend by IBM for the six-week internship. In 1993 a video, entitled “The Bottom Line: Everyone Profits!” was produced for the Coalition by Don & Betty Ann Lockart of Perceptions, Inc. in Charlotte. It explains the concepts of the Teacher/Business Internship Program. Copies are available by contacting David Hathaway, Executive Director, Vermont State Mathematics Coalition, PO Box 211, Underhill Center, VT 05490-0211, E-Mail: david.hathaway.78@gmail.com.

Other programs sponsored by the Coalition include “Expanding Horizons”, an opportunity for teachers to bring college and university mathematicians into their classrooms, a statewide Mathematics Talent Search which provides high school students with an opportunity to compete for awards by solving a set of mathematics problems independently four times during the school year, and a Summer Institute for Talented Students, a tuition-free week-long summer learning experience at the University of Vermont for selected high school students.

Membership in the Vermont State Mathematics Coalition is open to any resident of Vermont who is interested in the purposes of the Coalition (as described in the Mission Statement). The annual meeting takes place each year in late April or early May, at which time awards are given in the Talent Search competition. If you would like to become a member, would like a schedule of our meetings, or have any questions about the coalition, please contact executive director David Hathaway.