BEAM Discovery is a five-week program for students who are between 6th and 7th grade.

Mathematically, BEAM Discovery is designed to give young people the chance to start doing more advanced math and prepare for the BEAM Pathway Program, which starts with a residential program the next summer.  Students choose their own classes; each person picks a logical reasoning class, a creative problem solving class, a math fundamentals class, and an applied math class.

Beyond the math, we want to create an incredible community for everyone who comes.  Students meet others from all around the city who are interested in math---plus, they meet you, older BEAM students who will be role models for them.  They choose activities each day to build the community, and they start seeing themselves in new places and in new ways.

BEAM Discovery runs daily, approximately 9am-4pm.  You will be a teaching assistant for classes, you'll help lead activities, and you'll create a community for all the students there. We're still working on the schedule of the online version of the program will work, but we do not expect to require you to be on a computer the whole time. However, while screen time is shorter than the amount of time we'd spend in person at our normal programs, these are full-time positions and the salary reflects that.

As Junior Counselors, you'll work with college student Counselors to make BEAM Discovery a reality. It's your job to create the unique social environment at the program and also to provide critical support for the academics. You'll have breaks during the day and in the evening, but we'll ask you to step up and solve problems independently more than a standard job. Your responsibilities will include:

• Assisting classes by working with students individually and in small groups.

• Attending a training class provided for counselors on mathematics and teaching pedagogy (see below).

• Making students feel welcome.

• Running three to five activities per week for students at camp.

• Helping students get to and from the program.

• Above all, being a role model to inspire the students.

Students at BEAM Discovery take four classes, one in each of these subjects:

• Logical Reasoning

• Math Fundamentals

• Math Team Strategies

• Applied Mathematics

Counselors will TA one hour a day (or more if you're interested!), as well as tutoring in and supervising "Open Math Time," a period of the day where students can work freely on the mathematics problems of their choice. Counselors will also have the opportunity to develop other mathematical activities outside of standard classes.

One of the unique features of BEAM Discovery is that all counselors take a special course taught by BEAM faculty that covers both mathematics and pedagogy. Through the class, counselors will get support for their roles as TAs and tutors, and they will also develop mathematical content to run math activities directly for the students. In addition, counselors may have the opportunity to run one-shot math lessons with students during class time. We hope that the class will help all of the counselors grow both as mathematicians and teachers.

The time commitment for BEAM Discovery counselors is approximately six weeks in total: Three days of program orientation and set-up, five weeks with the students, and two days of wrap-up. Below are tentative program dates:

• NYC: July 1 - August 9, 2024

  • Orientation: July 1 - July 3 (off July 4 & 5th),

  • Program: July 8 - August 7

  • Wrap-up: August 8-9

• LA: June 19th - July 30th, 2024

  • Orientation: June 19 - 21,

  • Program: June 22 - July 28,

  • Wrap-up: July 29-30.

Alternate arrangements can be made if you have finals during the week of training, but please tells us during the application process.

The junior counselor pay rate is $18/hour. We especially hope that you'll see the program as we do: a way to give back and help some students who will grow into incredible individuals.

You must:

• Be at least 16 years old by the beginning of the program.

• Be enrolled in high school this year.

• In NYC: have attended BEAM/SPMPS in middle school.

• Be eligible to work in the United States: you must be a citizen, permanent resident, or have DACA. (But talk to us if something else applies.)

• If you will be 16 or 17 for any part of the summer, you must be able to get working papers (NYC) from your school. (This is not required for any staff member who will have turned 18 on or before the first day of staff training. We’ll guide you through the process once you’re hired!)

• Like math and be able to explain it to students (in particular, why things are true, not just a memorized procedure).

• Be reliable and take initiative.

• Be able to help kids have fun. (You don't need to be very outgoing if you can engage kids in fun activities, but it helps.)