About BEAM
The mission of BEAM is to create pathways for students from low-income and historically marginalized communities to become scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists. Led by staff with these same technical backgrounds, BEAM believes that pathways to STEM careers are created through community, individual support, and access to advanced work that typically lies outside most school curricula. We work to directly support students and to transition them to other supportive enrichment programs that enable their future success.
BEAM's model provides continuous support from middle school through college graduation, including intense academic summer programs for middle school students (after 6th and 7th grade), weekend classes and mentoring, and STEM-focused support through college. Our program includes not just access to learning advanced math but also support finding and applying to other opportunities, including support with college admissions and financial aid. In addition to our academic content, bringing students into community is a key part of our mission and all of our work is designed to support that goal.
BEAM has grown from a small summer program serving 17 students in the summer of 2011 to a year-round, national program, serving 420+ students at six summer program sites and 600+ students in year-round programming in New York City and Los Angeles this school year. In addition, our BEAM National pilot program now reaches over 500 elementary-aged students in seven different states, working to create a new nationwide pathway modeled on our local work.
With our recent strategic plan, our team has committed to transforming the organization from a successful startup to a more mature and scalable organization that can drive change across the country.
About the role
BEAM currently runs two summer programs, BEAM Discovery and BEAM Summer Away. BEAM Discovery is a day camp for rising 7th graders in Los Angeles and New York City, where students spend five weeks learning advanced math, making friends with others who love math, and building the skills, confidence, and self-identity for success. In the summer after 7th grade, students begin the Pathway Program at Summer Away, where they spend three weeks on a college campus in SoCal or Upstate New York learning proof-based math, building a community of peers, developing independence, and having fun.
We typically hire for the following summer positions at each of our sites. You can learn more about these roles on our website using the links below.
Counselors/Teaching Assistants
As a counselor with BEAM, you'll have both an academic and a non-academic role. You will act as a role model and mentor to the students, run activities each day for them to relax and socialize, and assist in mathematics courses, including guiding students through challenging problems, assist instructors, and help give feedback to students on their work.
We're looking for counselors who are reliable, take initiative, who will inspire the students to do better, and who are who can think on their feet while supporting students learning advanced math. The camp's academics will be challenging to everyone, with courses on topics such as combinatorics, number theory, problem solving, graph theory, game theory, and more, so you'll get plenty of chances to stretch your mathematical muscles.
Learn more about being a Counselor/TA here.
Faculty and Junior Faculty
As faculty, your role is to guide students as they discover new fields of mathematics. Our classes are small and highly interactive. Each class generally has around 15 students, and you will have a teaching assistant (either in college or a high school BEAM alum) to assist, allowing for a high degree of personalization.
We seek individuals who have a depth of mathematical expertise, good pedagogical style, classroom management skills, and the potential to be a role model. Our courses are about understanding mathematics on a deep level rather than procedures, and we're looking for teachers who can create classes that reflect this. Furthermore, we are looking for staff members who can reflect and seek personal growth, for our students, themselves, and the entire program.
Learn more about being BEAM Discovery Faculty.
Learn more about being BEAM Summer Away Faculty here.
Guidance Counselors
Guidance Counselors with BEAM provide social and emotional support. You will be with the students during most non-academic time, running activities and using meal times to talk to any students who may need your support. Beyond working with students, you can expect to work closely with our Counselors as well as the Director of Student Life and the Site Director.
Learn more about supporting BEAM Discovery students here.
Learn more about supporting BEAM Summer Away students here.
Health Directors/Nurses
Nurses provide medical support as needed to students in our program. We typically hire for both full- and part-time nurses depending on the need of the program site.
For more information on our programs and summer positions, we encourage you to explore our website.
