Since 2016, Case Western Reserve University has been home to the Math Corps, a caring community of learning formed by local area school students and their CWRU student mentors. This near-peer mentoring program was founded in 1992 by mathematicians at Wayne State University and is now replicated across multiple cities, including Cleveland. It offers solid math foundations that pass from faculty and college students to high school students, and from them to middle school students. For the Math Corps, all children have a unique and special greatness within them, and through hard work and the support of a caring community, this greatness can be realized.

Johnathon Taylor, a PhD student in the Department of Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics, is making an impact in the Math Corps program, inspiring middle and high school students to develop a love for mathematics. Taylor’s passion for teaching, along with his engaging approach to mathematical concepts, has made him a valued member of the Math Corps team.

Taylor began his Math Corps journey in January with the Super Saturday’s program, where he taught an innovative course for 8th graders. The course initially covered paths in graph theory, took a minor detour into category theory, and eventually transitioned into topics like sequences and integrals. Beyond academic instruction, Taylor connected with students during tutoring sessions and activities like chess, building relationships that extended beyond the classroom. His mentorship was guided by Francisca Richter (Associate Director at the Center on Poverty and Community Development at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University) who is the director of Super Saturdays. Taylor credits Professor Richter as a continual source of inspiration, supporting his growth as a mentor and educator.

Following the completion of Super Saturdays, Taylor transitioned to the summer camp portion of Math Corps at Cleveland State University, led by Dr. Carol Phillips- Bey, a professor of Mathematics Education at CSU. In this role, he taught 7th graders a course on infinite series, presenting complex topics in an engaging and accessible way. Taylor also introduced high school students to calculus and the fundamentals of set theory, sparking their curiosity about higher mathematics. His dedication to teaching extended into extracurricular activities, as he played football, basketball, and volleyball with students, building a supportive and enjoyable environment for learning.

Looking ahead, Taylor is excited to bring fresh ideas to Math Corps in the coming year. He plans to teach a course on various geometries, exploring different methods of measuring distances. With inspiration from a lesson plan by the late Elizabeth Meckes (a beloved CWRU mathematics professor) which explored measuring the distance from a viewer’s eye to the horizon, Taylor hopes to make mathematics both engaging and thought-provoking for his students. “I see myself working with Math Corps for the long run,” Taylor shared. “I have just as big of a passion for teaching kids as I do for my own research.”

Dr. Francisca Richter shared her appreciation for Johnathon’s role in the Math Corps:
“We are very lucky to have Johnny as part of the Math Corps! He combines his incredible talent and passion for math with a true desire to mentor students, helping them discover their own greatness. Johnny gave us all an example of persistence this last session. He introduced several topics to his students during discovery class until he found one that truly resonated with them. I had the joy of watching his students eagerly present what they had learned.”

Students who would like more information about getting involved in Math Corps should contact Dr. Francisca Richter at fxr58@case.edu. To apply, please complete the application form at the following link: https://forms.gle/hRKYe8wqmGeUXxvv5. Applications for volunteer opportunities are due by November 29, 2024, at 5 p.m.

One of Johnathon’s posters displayed at Math Corps events:

A photo of Johnny with one of his students presenting what they learned in class during the closing ceremony: