19: Connecting Math and Science to Students with Black Panther and other Modern-day Relevant Experiences - Interview with Shareef Jackson, Founder of Math Looks Good and Co-host of Spawn on Me Podcast

STEM Diversity Podcast

English - December 23, 2017 22:03 - 24 minutes - 21.5 MB
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Previous Episode: 18: Protecting Enterprise Security for Startups - Interview with Kathy Wang, Director of Security at GitLab

Next Episode: 20: Covering Technology and Business in Asia - Interview with Dr. Bernard Leong, Head of Post Office Network & Digital Services at Singapore Post and Host of Analyse Asia Podcast

Shareef Jackson is the founder of the math and physics tutoring service Math Looks Good and a co-host on the Spawn on Me podcast. He is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Shareef started the Math Looks Good tutoring service while working at a corporate job. He's since left the corporate world and done this full time. He works with high school students. For some students, he has developed a custom curriculum for them. Shareef uses plain English and modern examples. He says he used a Black Panther movie trailer to illustrate the laws of motion. He helps students see that math and science are not abstract concepts, but that they are already interacting with day to day.

In 2011, Shareef was doing a lot of work with NASA, and started a blog called Science Looks Good, which focuses on space exploration and diversity within science. He says we often overlook the contributions that people of color have made to science, throughout history. He says a lot of students don't seek out these majors, because they don’t see it as something for them. It starts as early as elementary school. Shareef sees himself, as an African-American man, as an example, to show to people that they are here. And that he is not an exception. There is a history.

Shareef is a co-host on the Spawn On Me podcast, which celebrates the diversity in the gaming industry. It is an interview show and they discuss diversity issues.

Shareef grew up lower middle class in a dangerous part of Paterson, New Jersey. He was fortunate enough to stay out of trouble and do well in school. He participated in New Jersey SEEDS, a program that prepares high-achieving low-income students academically, and sends them to private high schools. He was then finally challenged and motivated to excel academically. Shareef went to Brown University for undergrad and then Case Western, both in engineering. He eventually gave up a high-paying job as a data analyst to become an entrepreneur and started the tutoring service.

Shareef says a lot of the problems that people attribute to inner cities start in young folks. These inner city schools are focused on disciplining the bad students. They are not challenging the average to great students. Some students get lost and start hanging out with the wrong crowd. This has been a problem of public schools for a long time, since they are under-resourced.

Shareef says for folks entering a technical field, they should seek out help. There's many resources online nowadays to help educate yourself. For folks seeking the entrepreneurial route, don't be afraid to network and share your ideas. Put yourself out there.

linkedin.com/in/shareefjackson/

twitter.com/ShareefJackson

Case Western Reserve University

Harlem Children's Zone

STEM Diversity Podcast