The Dover Foundation has committed to support the Math Circles of Chicago Bridgeport site for the 2017-2018 school year.
Math Circles of Chicago (MC2) seeks to provide 5th-12th graders, in all communities of Chicago, with opportunities to actively participate in novel mathematics to increase their mathematical power and promote a lifelong love of mathematics. Math Circles of Chicago is unique in their efforts to hold math circles directly in neighborhood centers, rather than the traditional university setting.
Every Tuesday at the Bridgeport site, students gather in the evening to engage in enriching mathematics led by local PhD students. The Bridgeport Math Circle was founded in the fall of 2014 when a PhD student at University of Illinois at Chicago named Edgar Bering was inspired to open a math circle in his neighborhood.
Edgar eventually discovered Benton House to use as a meeting place, the last standing settlement house in Chicago. Benton House opened in 1907 as part of the same movement led by Jane Addams to provide educational opportunities and recreational facilities for needy families. Benton House continues to be a community center for Bridgeport. It has an open food pantry five days a week, hosts after school programs linked to After School Matters and art exhibitions for area youth.
Photo caption: Students investigate patterns with squares, determining the most squares one can make with a given number of toothpicks.