San Diego, June 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM), which creates educational pathways for students to become scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists, has received a $3.5 million grant to support national expansion plans to reach students from low-income and historically marginalized communities even earlier in their education. The new BEAM National initiative is made possible in part through its connection to Art of Problem Solving (AoPS), a leader in math education that has successfully trained hundreds of thousands of motivated students in preparation for success at top-tier colleges and careers.

BEAM was established ten years ago as a project of the AoPS Initiative, a non-profit organization supported by AoPS, to provide no-cost STEM education to historically underrepresented students and to increase diversification and talent in these fields. To date, BEAM’s programs in New York City and Los Angeles have educated more than 600 students through its 9-year pathway program, which begins the summer after 6th-grade and extends through college.

“The expansion of BEAM National will reach high-need students even earlier, increase the diversity pipeline for future math and science leaders, and help solve the underrepresentation problem in the STEM fields,” said Richard Rusczyk, founder of AoPS and the AoPS Initiative.

The proceeds of the grant will be used to launch the BEAM National initiative, expanding the current programming nationally through school districts, community groups, and individual households. BEAM National will provide AoPS’ highly-engaging Beast Academy curriculum, a comic-based math program for elementary students, and AoPS math textbooks at no cost. With this funding, BEAM National now has the capacity to reach thousands of students at a time when STEM-related professionals are in high demand – nearly 3.5 million new STEM jobs need to be staffed by 2025. At present, underrepresented populations make up 28% of the population, but hold only 13% of STEM jobs, according to a 2020 National Science Board study.

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About Art of Problem Solving

Art of Problem Solving trains today’s brightest minds to solve tomorrow’s problems. Since 1993, we have prepared hundreds of thousands of motivated students for success in prestigious universities and STEM careers through our engaging, high-quality curriculum, expert online instruction, and local learning centers. For more information, visit www.artofproblemsolving.com

About BEAM

Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM) creates pathways for students from low-income and historically marginalized communities to become scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists by bridging the gap between their aspirations and the opportunities provided to them. For more information, visit www.beammath.org