The Program
 The institute is held for two weeks in June. The class meets
from 9:00 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday with the
afternoons used for study. This allows for thirty contact
hours for which a participant receives two hours of graduate
credit in mathematics. The two-week duration seems to be the
optimal length for teachers with a family. The average
number of teachers for each new institute has been 28,
sizable for a state like Wyoming. Each institute is
virtually full. Any post-elementary Wyoming teacher of
mathematics, with a minimum of three years teaching
experience in the field of mathematics, is eligible to
apply. The institutes have had considerable impact on
mathematical instruction at the secondary level in Wyoming.
One teacher commented; “More than any other program, the
summer math institutes have had the largest positive impact
on secondary mathematics instruction in the state of
Wyoming”. Of the approximate 250 secondary teachers of
mathematics in Wyoming, 200 have attended at least one
institute. Of these, two-thirds have returned to participate
in subsequent institutes.
One day of the institute is reserved
for a field trip to observe mathematics in action. We have
traveled to Cheyenne, Ft. Collins, Windsor, and Loveland to
tour businesses such as: Hewlett Packard, Safecard, Warren
Air Force Base, Teledyne/Waterpick, Anheuser-Busch, Kodak
Colorado, Woodward Governors, Loveland Sculpture
Works/Foundry, Agilent Technologies, LSI Logics, Echo Star
Satellite Communications Corporation, and Sam’s Club. The
visits give the teachers an opportunity to ask the
employees, foremen, and executives any question they wish,
many of which center on the mathematical skills needed to be
a new hire. This has become valuable information to bring
back to their classrooms.
As it is with all large and sparsely populated states, the opportunity for peer
interaction is rare. Occasions to share successes, failures, hopes, dreams,
teaching techniques, topics, and differences in school administrations are vital
in the molding of a teacher. Networking the secondary mathematics teachers in
Wyoming was not the intention of the institutes but has proven to be a highly
visible bonus for them. Many lasting personal and professional relationships
have developed. The teacher’s enthusiasm, participation, and evaluations* each
summer demonstrate their continued interest and need for such a program.
Currently, the Wyoming State Department of Education requires every teacher earn
five hours of graduate credit every five years to remain certified to teach.
They strongly recommend teachers take courses closely aligned to their teaching.
For the last seventeen years, the University of Wyoming Summer Mathematics
Institute has been the only source to receive such credit.
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