Outreach & Service
Outreach
Overview
The SIM Camp is an initiative aimed at fostering an appreciation for the fascinating world of mathematics among middle and high school students. Hosted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the week-long camp reveals the creative, discovery-driven side of mathematics to encourage continued study beyond high school.
Role as Director (2022, 2023)
As the Director for two consecutive years, I was entrusted with multiple responsibilities that contributed to the success of the camp. These responsibilities spanned securing funding, team recruitment and training, student engagement, and operational logistics.
Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM), UIUC Chapter
Role as Outreach Chair (2021-2022)
As the Outreach Chair, I took the lead in organizing Sonia Math Day. My role spanned from conceptualization to event management, and it required a coordinated effort to fulfill the AWM's goals.
Overview
Maadhyam Welfare Society is a non-profit organization based in India. We at Maadhyam are committed to elevating educational standards in rural India. As facilitators, our primary objective is to impart education, enhance skill sets, and create a conducive learning environment. Currently, our initiatives are concentrated on the educational upliftment of the village of Buttar Bakhuha in Punjab.
Role
As a co-founder of Maadhyam, my mission is to expand access to quality education in rural areas, particularly in the village of Buttar Bakhuha in Punjab. Through initiatives such as opening the region's first library and implementing targeted educational programs for underprivileged children and women, I aim not only to make education more accessible but also to empower individuals to envision and achieve any career path they desire.
Key Initiatives and Impact:
First Library in the Region: Opened the first-ever library in the region to provide local children with a diverse range of books and a conducive environment for studying.
Skill Development for Women: Led initiatives for rural women, including self-defense workshops, personal hygiene training, and value-addition workshops aimed at improving employability.
Mathematics Scholarships: Organized mathematics classes for children with the aim of helping them qualify for state-sponsored scholarship programs. Notably, two students from our program secured scholarships in 2019 (the first in the village to do so), and another two represented their state at the national level in 2020 while securing the state scholarships - the first in their district to do so.
STEM Mentorship: In a community where the aspiration to become a scientist is uncommon, I've had the rewarding experience of coaching a young girl over a span of three years. This mentorship involved bridging the educational gap between English and Punjabi mediums and bolstering her foundation in the sciences. Today, she has broken through societal limitations and is actively pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Science. This serves as a poignant example of how targeted educational support can open doors to unconventional career paths for young people in rural areas.
Learn More:
For more information about Maadhyam and our ongoing initiatives, please visit Maadhyam's official website.
Service
Volunteer for Association for Women in Mathematics
Member of Climate, Equity and Diversity Committee at Math Department of UIUC