Unique Program Introduces Middle School Students to Math and Coding

Srimahitha Kanakamedala used a 3D printer in the University of New Haven's makerspace to create a cryptography wheel, a cryptography tool that she later used in the classroom. Though she's only in eighth grade, she's already learning about math and coding from University of New Haven professors – and discovering the opportunities that will be available to her when she's in college.

Kanakamedala's family taught her about coding when she was very young. It has been something she enjoyed, and she wanted to keep building her skills. That's why she took part in the University's Excellence in Math and Coding Chargers (E = MC2), an immersive after-school program. She's one of more than a dozen Engineering and Science University Magnet School (ESUMS) students in grades 6-8 who took part in the program.

As part of her final coding project, Kanakamedala used code to generate three-digit numbers, creating "riddles" with numbers. She says she enjoyed getting to add to her math and coding education, going beyond what she was already doing in the classroom.

"This was a good opportunity to do more with coding outside of school," she explains. "The teachers were very nice. Making the crypto wheel was my favorite thing we did. It was cool."

Held at ESUMS, which is located adjacent to the University's West Haven campus, the program brought University professors to the magnet school. It was co-directed by Yevgeniya Rivers, Ed.D., a senior lecturer and director of the University's Math Zone, and Yasanthi Kottegoda, Ph.D., an associate professor. They designed it to introduce middle school students to areas of math that are accessible to them at their age but that are also challenging.

The program introduced students to a variety of topics, such as cryptography, statistics, and logical fallacies. Dr. Rivers describes it as a sort of "choose your own adventure" program, as students design their own final project and presentation.

"As an educator, I enjoy working with the kids," said Dr. Rivers. "They come after a full day of school, and they're full of energy. We're also creating relationships between University faculty, teachers, and the students and their families."

Dr. Kottegoda taught sessions on cryptography and graph theory. Committed to creating fun and engaging learning opportunities for her young students, she especially enjoyed introducing them to new concepts such as number theory.

"One of our main intentions was to introduce interesting math topics with real-world applications that middle school students often don't have the chance to get exposed to," she said. "It was quite entertaining and rewarding to see how they incorporated ideas we discussed in an outdoor hopscotch game. It was an amazing learning experience for me as well in terms of experimenting with various teaching techniques that support learning for students in this age group."

The program endeavored to reinforce the connection between math and computer science while helping students to learn about the many careers that incorporate math and coding. It was also a unique opportunity for the participants to get a taste of college life, whether they were learning from professors, visiting campus, or interacting with University of New Haven students.

Charly Hilliard '25 served as a teaching assistant in the program. A forensic science major, she is minoring in math, and she enjoyed sharing her interest in math with the students. She says being a part of the program was a great way to connect with the West Haven community while also learning how to explain challenging concepts so that they are accessible.

"It's been great to see the growth from the kids in terms of their behavior and engagement," she said. "They've learned about topics that some people don't see until they get to college. It's great to see them interested and willing to learn these concepts."

Houssein El Turkey, Ph.D., enjoyed teaching classes to the middle school students as part of the program. An associate professor, he helped them learn to think mathematically and to develop their creative program-solving skills.

"This process is the epitome of what mathematicians do in their fields, and I was able to model that with middle schoolers," he said. "It was a privilege and an honor to serve as an instructor in the program and to see how it impacted many of the kids in the program. I think they got a sense and a taste of advanced mathematics, and I have the impression that they enjoyed it! I loved seeing their ‘aha' moments when they generated the final formula by recognizing the pattern in the problem."

For Avik Muthyapu, a seventh grader, the program was especially exciting because he had the chance to use Python to create a computer game. He was excited to demonstrate how he could control the triangles that moved across the pink screen in front of him, explaining how he'd learned to make "turtles" that he could control as he developed his game.

"I like customizing the shapes and colors of the characters," he explained. "I learned how to make them move. It was also fun to go to the makerspace on campus. It was a big space, and everyone was smiling when we were there."