The president and CEO of EdVestors, a Boston-based school improvement organization, offered an op-ed in Commonwealth Magazine: It’s time to zero in on mathematics education.

Using the same web/email setup that NewtonSTEM uses, I am working with a team of volunteers to publish Fig City News — an online news hub aiming to fill gaps in the coverage of local news and community announcements in Newton. We started in July and offer two free newsletters each week:

• Mondays:  Fig City Local Government Meetings & Reports has details of the workings of our local government — meeting links and agendas, etc.
• Wednesdays:  Fig City News contains local news articles and community announcements.

All the content is available on FigCityNews.com, and you can stay updated by subscribing here to either or both newsletters.

— Bruce Henderson, NewtonSTEM

Science Club for Girls held its annual Catalyst Awards fundraising event online on April 5, raising over $280,000 to support its mission of fostering excitement, confidence, and literacy in STEM for girls and young women from underrepresented communities in the Boston metro area. You can view a video of the event here and donate to help SCFG get across its $285,000 goal line to serve 500 participants next year.

The Calculus Project works in all of Newton’s middle and high schools to have more Hispanic, African American, and low-income students successfully complete calculus in high school, as a path to success in college. The program provides intensive, small-group summer classes, enrichment activities, and year-round mentoring and tutoring.  The TCP summer program includes instruction in Computer Science, field trips to STEM-related companies, and college campus visits for rising 11th graders with a focus on STEM majors and careers. The program currently includes 150 students in Grades 8-12. The Newton Schools Foundation seeks donations to fund the enrollment of an additional class of 8th Graders to start this summer. While the NPS operating budget funds part of the program, tax-deductible donations via the NSF are needed for the summer program, tutoring, enrichment activities, and supplies. Donate here.

ArtsFuse has a review of the play Young Nerds of Color, which runs through March 20 at Central Square Theater. It’s a thought-provoking play that weaves together interviews with scientists from underrepresented backgrounds to explore implicit and systemic bias that young people of color face when trying to enter STEM fields — and the resulting loss incurred as a result. It runs about 75 minutes and is produced by Underground Railway@Central Square Theater and the Brit d’Arbeloff Catalyst Collaborative@MIT. Get tickets here. Proof of vaccination is required.