Free Mathstronauts STEM program helped Hamilton kids' confidence blast off after COVID, mom says

A Hamilton mother says she has seen marked improvement in her two children after they enrolled in a program run by Mathstronauts — a Hamilton-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underrepresented youth to build confidence, leadership, and digital technology skills.

Lohifa Pogoson Acker says her 10-year-old son, Myles, was enrolled in the Mathstronauts SPARK Program last summer, while her eight-year-old daughter, Aoife, is participating this year.

"I noticed that it really helped [Myles] hone in on his focus. They get to talk about the work that they're doing and interact, so I found his presentation skills improved a lot," Pogoson Acker told CBC Hamilton.

"His interpersonal relational skills also improved very much because they have to work in teams and in groups, which I find is really important … especially for young people to learn how to have a team spirit and to be considerate and to collaborate.

"When my daughter joined [the SPARK Program], I saw the same in her," added Pogoson Acker.

Mathstronauts, a registered non-profit organization, was founded in Hamilton in 2015, and provides programs for youth in the city that are focused on engaging them in science, technology, engineering and math. The organization offers free STEM workshops via its SPARK program at Hamilton's Central Library.

"All of those interpersonal skills that we would want them to have in life to navigate life and to navigate humans and differences, I find that Mathstronauts really reinforces that through their teaching," Pogoson Acker said.

Students find the program to be really, really exciting and engaging.​​​​​- Sehrish Zehra, executive director, Mathstronauts

Sehrish Zehra, executive director at Mathstronauts, said the SPARK program was created in 2022 in response to gaps observed in learning post COVID-19. It has seen an average of 80 students participating per year since then.

"After the pandemic ended, it was noted that students at the elementary school level, due to disruptions in school and their academics overall, were not performing and they were struggling in areas of numeracy and literacy," Zehra told CBC Hamilton.

"So, this program was initiated in response to the gap that was noted, and the purpose is really to help bring students back to grade levels by offering them interactive, fun, hands-on engagement in math specifically, and as a way to help them both learn and find math fun."

Students attend eight workshops in total, and Zehra said "the goal is that by the end of it, they will not only have improved their math skills," but also improve "their social skills, their emotional well-being, their physical wellness by having participated in this really engaging program."

Zehra said the SPARK Program continues to meet and exceed expectations.

"Students find the program to be really, really exciting and engaging, and I think the reason that they find it exciting and engaging is because of the activities that they get to do and the fact that they get to do it with their friends and peers," she said.

Financial support from Ontario Trillium Foundation

Zehra said Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) recently approved a grant of $300,000 for Mathstronauts and this will allow the organization to expand the SPARK Program to reach more children across Hamilton's underserved communities. 

According to the organization, the expansion will help children ages seven to nine develop essential social, emotional, leadership, and digital skills. 

With support from OTF's Grow Grant, Mathstronauts said it will expand SPARK from four to ten community sites over the next three years, increasing the program's reach, training more facilitators, and providing access to 360 children.

"We are incredibly grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their generous three-year investment in the SPARK program," said Zehra.

"This funding allows us to grow our reach and impact — supporting more youth with hands-on STEM experiences, mentorship, and leadership opportunities that build confidence and spark long-term interest in STEM. Thanks to OTF, we're not just running a program — we're nurturing the next generation of problem-solvers, changemakers, and future STEM leaders.