CLAS Lecture: Is this math? Community approaches to problem-solving in a Yucatec Maya Village

Jessica Cetz Dzib is Yucatec Maya and lives in the town of Ixil in the state of Yucatán, México. She is the first in her family to attend college. She graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY) in 2016 with a Bachelors degree in Accounting. She is an advisor and math instructor for Proyecto Itzaes, which provides after school educational programs and scholarships to children in the small towns of Ixil, Too, and Chicxulub Pueblo. Jessica was the primary research assistant in this study. Her roles included cultural ambassador, findings verifier, protocol advisor, transportation advisor, translator, and transcriber.

Felicia Darling is an education scholar who focuses on improving access to math content for all students. Her research focuses on students who are historically underserved, such as non-native English speakers, students with unique approaches to learning math, ethnic/racial minorities, indigenous students, and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Her research goal is to insure that the voices of all students are represented in the current debate about education reform in both the U.S. and México. Felicia is a first-generation college student who has taught math for 22 years at both the secondary and college levels. She is a Fulbright Scholar who will graduate with her PhD in Math Education from Stanford University Graduate School of Education in June 2016.