Funds for a Children's Organization

Who we are

Mathstronauts began as an idea inspired on a regular day in a library at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) by two undergraduate students who realized the importance of good educational backgrounds as a prerequisite and tool for future academic successes.

We were fortunate; our families had the money, the time, and the means to implement extracurricular routines within our daily lives, which helped develop some of the most crucial skills that became relevant at a much later time. Although at the time, it felt like extra science and mathematics homework from our parents, in retrospect, such experiences meant extra exposure, extra help, and subsequently (and most importantly) a deeper and more conceptual understanding.


What we do

Over time, our idea crystalized into Mathstronauts, a nonprofit organization based out of Hamilton, Ontario, which is centered on exposing middle school students to hands-on and application-based Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, outside of the classroom. Our team of volunteers develop creative modules that encourage discovery and innovation, while creating a fun environment for learning. Our goal is to Educate, Enrich, and Inspire (in any order!).

More recently, our goal is to provide cost-free programming to students within high priority neighborhoods of Hamilton in which student dropout rates are significantly higher, job prospects are limited, and a disproportionate number of health issues exist. By targeting such areas, we hope to create equal opportunity for all students entering high school, and inspire children in difficult situations to realize their potentials and strive for better.
 
Since initiation in 2012, Mathstronauts has become a known outreach venture present at various schools in Hamilton, is supported by McMaster University and McMaster Innovation Park, and has created partnerships with numerous like-minded organizations. 


Our Impact

Our organization makes a significant contribution to Hamilton’s innovative ecosystem. Hamilton is a vibrant community with a strong potential for economic and social development. We strengthen and fulfill this potential by creating means of strong integration between different sectors, in a way that significantly improves learning outcomes of our students. We connect experienced and driven university students who are creative and innovative thinkers to youth of Hamilton, helping bridge a gap that ripples Canada's education system. We interact with parents and the district school board to customize our curriculum to better fit the needs of our students. We collaborate with other groups and organizations with similar or complementary purposes to deliver our mission. These measures create a network of mutually beneficial parties actively thriving off of Hamilton's wide range of offerings. 

 
The pitfalls

Our team is full of skilled and dedicated McMaster students who are booming and bursting with new ideas on how to engage our students and better their learning and life outcomes. Being a relatively young organization, these ideas are often limited by the amount of monies available to us at various times throughout the school year. Limitation to funding creates difficulties in bringing the best quality of curriculum, materials and equipment needed for our programming to uphold the excellence we aspire to.


HOW YOU CAN HELP


With your generous donation of any amount, we would be able to invest in various components of the organization, as noted below. Such funding would allow us to continue to enrich the lives of the students who partake in our venture, and provide even better programming for them for years to come. Please consider showing your support for our small organization, and help us create a stronger future for our students.

Please note that all funds contributed to this venture are used solely for the intended purposes as noted below.

 

Our goal is to raise a total of $5, 000 CAD which would be used towards the following:

 Equipment/Materials/Activities: $ 2, 600
·       LittleBits kits, Arduino kits, microscopes and supplies for activities and year-round events

Administration/Legal: $ 1,000
·       Registration and incorporation costs

Marketing: $ 600
·       Web development, broadcast production, market research

Volunteer compensations: $800
·       Reward our hard working team of volunteers with social events to facilitate team spirit and create opportunities to connect

We invite you all to learn more about how we impact our students, team members, partners and the Hamilton community at large by staying connected via any of the networks listed below. 

We sincerely appreciate all your support in helping grow our venture! We wish to be the difference that needs to be made. 

Best Wishes,
The Mathstronauts Team


Website: www.mathstronauts.ca
Facebook page: /Mathstronauts
Instagram: @mathstronauts
Twitter: @mathstronauts
Gmail: [email redacted]