NJ Teen Teaches Native Students Ham Radio at Math Camp

When most teens are sleeping in during summer break, Ruchira Shree was helping Native American students discover their ancestors were mathematicians all along.

The West Windsor–Plainsboro High School sophomore volunteered at an Alliance for Indigenous Math Circles camp in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last summer. The weeklong program connects Indigenous students with STEM activities rooted in their cultural traditions.

Shree got the opportunity through an unexpected connection. She'd been attending IEEE Princeton Central Jersey Section meetings with her mother since childhood, helping with small tasks like making name badges. At one event, she met a camp recruiter who saw potential in her advanced math skills and passion for teaching.

The IEEE section gave her a $1,500 sponsorship grant to cover travel expenses. Nine other students joined her as volunteer instructors at the camp.

Indigenous students have the lowest rate of pursuing STEM careers across all U.S. demographics. But camp codirector Donna Fernandez points out that Native communities have always used mathematics, from Navajo code talkers in World War II to the precise calculations needed to build traditional hogans.

One student at camp had a grandfather who was a code talker. Connecting those dots between cultural heritage and modern STEM fields helps students see themselves as future scientists and engineers.

The Ripple Effect

The camp runs on relationships that last beyond one week. Students return year after year asking if their favorite interns are coming back. The cultural exchanges benefit everyone involved.

Shree spent mornings working through math circles with students, a cooperative problem-solving approach where teams defend their answers and challenge others. Afternoons included hands-on STEM projects led by Indigenous professionals.

Since 2017, the AIMC has run two camps annually in the Four Corners region. This year they expanded to include the Santa Fe Indian School. Every camp is free for students, funded entirely by sponsorships and donations.

For Shree, now focusing on qualifying for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, the experience showed her how personal connections open doors. Her mentor Francis O'Connell, an IEEE life senior member, encouraged her involvement from registration desk volunteer to camp instructor.

The camps prove that STEM education works best when it honors where students come from while showing them where they can go.