Maisie Gholson receives NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award, will study development of Black youth in mathematics

The purpose of the CAREER: Black Youth Development and Curricular Supports for Robust Identities in Mathematics project is to study the developmental trajectories of 360-450 college-focused Black youth in mathematics over five years using mixed method case study. The project also studies the design features of an identity-based mathematics curriculum that support Black youth development. The purpose of the project fits with the long-term goals of the PI to be the leading scholar in the mathematical development of Black children and youth. The proposed project attends to a theoretical gap in the field of mathematics education research related to the lack of conceptualization of Black youth mathematics development. The project capitalizes on the local context in which approximately 120-150 Black youth per year enroll in a college-bridge program. Students are selected based on grades and standardized test scores and, for all intents and purposes, are highly successful in their local contexts. The context of the college-bridge program allows for the study of the mathematical trajectories of high-achieving Black youth from 8th to 12th grade from three predominantly Black communities in the Detroit-Ann Arbor metro area, as well as a curriculum designed for the college-bridge program.