Nationwide, we’ve reached more than 500,000 students and 5,700 educators, with 93% of partnered programs serving low-income communities.
In 2021, Learn Fresh students improved by 29% on a math fluency assessment and 19% on a test of higher-order math skills.
Our students are 30% more likely than a control group to report growth in key attributes like leadership, grit, and resilience.
91% of our educators report that the accessibility and relevance of math is improved through our programs.
93% of our educators report that our programs improve students’ ability to work in teams.
Nationwide, we’ve reached more than 500,000 students and 5,700 educators, with 93% of partnered programs serving low-income communities.
In 2021, Learn Fresh students improved by 29% on a math fluency assessment and 19% on a test of higher-order math skills.
Our students are 30% more likely than a control group to report growth in key attributes like leadership, grit, and resilience.
91% of our educators report that the accessibility and relevance of math is improved through our programs.
93% of our educators report that our programs improve students’ ability to work in teams.
"Math Hoops is a fantastic program on so many levels. The weekly lessons encourage club members to embody good character, good sportsmanship, and to show integrity. The kids who participate are challenged, show confidence in their math skills and support each other during their games. It creates a great atmosphere of healthy competition while they hone their individual skills. Thank you so much for introducing this program to our Club."
"My students were keeping me on schedule. A day didn't go by without them asking “Are we playing Math Hoops today?” It was a great feeling to know that they were excited about math."
"The program has made math fun for our kids. Kids that didn’t really like math in the beginning now have a different outlook on it. Math Hoops has been very beneficial for us. It has actually improved grades for some."
"One of my female ELL students, coming into third grade, struggled with addition concepts and automaticity. However, once she engaged in the competition piece of Math Hoops, she began practicing her addition, subtraction and multiplication facts every chance she got. By the end of our season, she was the top multiplication student in class and her confidence had grown tremendously."
"This was my first year using the NBA Math hoops so we used it in a lot of locations and with a variety of students. I run a tutoring business that partners with a lot of organizations and schools and we basically used it whenever and wherever we could because the students (and adults) loved it so much. I've never seen kids so enthusiastic and engaged with math."
"Coaches were amazed by Learn Fresh’s responsiveness, the hands-on and engaging training, and the personalized attention. They felt that Learn Fresh was attentive to their needs and went above and beyond to eliminate barriers and help them and their students."
"The Math Hoops program was an incredible success within our club. Overall, the program taught our kids about teamwork, sportsmanship, and critical thinking. I have definitely seen a positive response for when the kids and I do other physical activities in the gym. Math Hoops has ignited that “carry over” into our other sports activities and kids are responding with more sportsmanship and teamwork than ever. We loved Math Hoops and can't wait to be a part of it next year!"
"I have the best video of one of my students yelling and excited at the local competition. When I looked closely I realized she was cheering for the other team. It was great to see her excited about them doing well and she had never met them or played with them before. What a great lesson on sportsmanship."
"I have a group of 7th grade boys that were super disengaged with learning, but after going over the Math Hoops program with them and sharing all of the cool experiences that they get to participate in, those boys decided to dedicate themselves to training for the regional tournament and prepare vigorously so that they would have a better chance of winning. It changed their outlook about math and school and made them want to play."
"My students and I have been excited about math in a way I have not experienced in a long time because of Math Hoops. I have seen a shift in the students’ fluency and confidence. Their sportsmanship expectations for each other have been so high that I don’t need to interfere – the teams take care of things themselves."
The NBA Math Hoops experience is our most extensive and scaled, serving over 150,000 students each year and growing quickly. The program engages students in fundamental math and social-emotional learning, specifically focused on serving students in Grades 3-8. To learn more about NBA Math Hoops, read the full program report: bit.ly/NBAMathHoops
Launched in partnership with the MLB Players Trust, the MLB Players STEM League is a baseball-inspired program for middle-school age youth. The program brings to life the energy of the sport through a board game and curriculum that cultivate students’ math and social-emotional skills.
STEM Goals is a new Learn Fresh program that leverages the game of soccer to engage students with STEM and social-emotional learning. The community-based program is built around a simulated soccer game that targets 5th and 6th graders with grade-appropriate, standards-aligned questions across science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines, with a particular focus on sustainability and renewable energy!
Each year, educators and students participate in a program season, which mimics the structure of a professional sports calendar or other time-bound experience.
Educators can access in-person trainings in all of our focus regions, which help them craft the perfect experience for their students. Throughout the year, students are able to earn access to special events in their local community, before ultimately competing in the Regional and National Championships.
Our educator trainings are highly collaborative. Many educators identify them as the most engaging professional development experience of their school year.
Throughout the session, we teach educators how to play our games, guide them through the curriculum, and help them craft their learning plan for the season. Trainings represent our first opportunity to build community with our participating educators.
During the season, our most engaged classrooms may earn access to special incentives and events, including experiences with professional athletes. The NBA Math Hoops Live event is one of our all-time favorite experiences for students and athletes alike.
For the event, a basketball court is transformed into an NBA Math Hoops game board, allowing students to complete math problems before guiding actual NBA and WNBA players to positions on the floor. The athletes compete with students on two teams, taking shots to score points and pursue the W.
We love to celebrate and Regional Championships are the perfect opportunity! Students from participating schools and after-school programs attend tournaments across the country, usually hosted at NBA/WNBA arenas, industry-leading museums, or other standout STEM-focused facilities in their local communities.
Students compete in a round robin, before an Elite Eight or Final Four is selected for the championship rounds. Regional Championship season is by far our favorite time of the year!
The NBA Math Hoops National Championship represents our most robust and transformative community experience. Each year, we invite students from across the country to one NBA/WNBA market, providing an all-expenses paid experience for the student, a parent, and a teacher.
Throughout the weekend, students are immersed in a variety of STEM, sports, and cultural experiences, broadening their worldview while extending their learning beyond the classroom. Students are selected through a highly-competitive application process that rewards growth in the program over all else.
James Abbott was born and raised in Detroit, MI. He attend Southfield-Lathrup High School and later Wayne State University. It was at Wayne State that James studied Theater. After Wayne, James worked for 10 years in the educational field in many capacities. He's worked as a tutor, site liaison, special need counselor, recess coordinator, and para-professional at Rutherford-Winans Academy. He is loving referred to as "Coach" by students and faculty alike for his assistance and passion for students' education. James has used his passions for education and theater to direct and act educational performing arts projects for youth in the Detroit metro area. His educational motto is to create engaging activities for students that inspire them to learn for life. He often says, "when students are having fun they learn more, input more, and want more."
Corrin has been teaching 5th grade at Brookfield Elementary in Oakland for 24 years, since 1997. In addition to teaching, he also coaches a variety of sports like basketball, soccer, and baseball, and has established partnerships for his classes with the Bay Area's surrounding sports teams. The Learn Platform is perfect for him and his class, as it combines his love for sports and education in a fun and easy way.
Carmen is currently located in Ocoee, Florida, where she has been teaching middle school science for the past 11 years. Carmen was recently selected as Teacher of the Year for the 2018-2019 school year. Before teaching at Ocoee, she spent 16 years in Houston, TX, teaching various subjects, including World History, Physical Education, Middle School Science, and Pre-K. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston. This will be Carmen’s fourth season participating in the NBA Math Hoops program, and she is looking forward to an exciting year showing students that math can be so much fun!
Carmen is a second grade teacher at Detroit Enterprise Academy. She has been teaching for seven years and coaching Math Hoops as an after school club for the past two. As a student, she often struggled with math and failed to find real world applications. She loves seeing her former students come back to participate in this club and really engage in math in a new way. They get so excited to compare players' stats and compete against their friends! She sees their team work and fact fluency really improve throughout the season. It has been a blast learning this game with her students and seeing them grow!
Denzel is currently a sixth grade math teacher at Cramer Hill Elementary in Camden, NJ. He has worked as a teacher for six years, during which he has always loved working with math and sports in the school community. He has coached a variety of sports from basketball to softball and flag football, and is currently the school's Athletic Director for the second year in a row. At Cramer Hill, he is going into his third year as coach of the Math Hoops team as well. His team has gone to the National Championship twice and won in 2019. He is truly committed to urban education and practicing his craft in a community that reminds me of where I grew up, while instilling the importance of education with young learners.
Yvette Jarvis is an educator with Denver Public Schools. She has served at Bradley International, a National Blue Ribbon School, for the past five and a half years. Over the past five years, through her dedication to the Math Hoops program and strong belief in the virtue of the Learn Fresh team’s mission to bring math and SEL into the after-school experience, she has been able to produce three National Champions and two back-to-back Regional Championship winners.
Yvette is a native New Yorker and an expat from Athens, Greece, where she served as the first African American elected to the Athens City Council. She is a former professional basketball player, fashion model, television icon and singer. Yvette is a graduate of Boston University, where she graduated with Magna Cum laude distinction earning a degree in Psychology and a Minor in Sociology.
Joe is a 5th grade teacher at 122nd Street School in Los Angeles Unified School District. For 29 years, he has taught at the same school. Joe has been an NBA Math Hoops supporter since 2017, sending two students the National Championship. Growing up in a rough neighborhood made him aware of the need to give back. He views it as his responsibility to educate and instruct our youth and let them know that there is "more out there than the four corners in which they reside. Each one, teach one."
Maureen is a reading specialist at Walnut Street School in Uniondale, NY. She shares her love of math with her students through before-school and after-school clubs and STEM programs. Walnut Street students have participated in the NBA Math Hoops program for the past four years and will begin using the Math Hits program this year. Mrs. Bowie loves sharing the games with her students because they enjoy it and don't even realize how much they're learning when they play.
Thinh was born in Vietnam and at the age of nine, immigrated with his family to the United States. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary and Special Education at La Salle University. After graduation, he wanted to give back to the school community that assisted him in furthering his education and began teaching in the School District of Philadelphia. He went on to earn my Master’s Degree in Education and Principal Certification at Cabrini University. Currently, he teach mathematics at Eliza B. Kirkbride School to 7th and 8th graders, where he has been teaching for the last 10 years. In addition to teaching, he serves on the Executive Board for the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) Union and enjoys being an avid stakeholder in the community.
Danielle Lewis is a teacher, basketball coach, and mentor at City Day Community School. This is her second year leading their scholars in the NBA Math Hoops program. She has been a math teacher for five years and the last two years have been the best by far, growing her middle school students a year and a half mathematically each school year. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and mentors many underprivileged youth. Her goals have always been to prove to kids that they are loved, capable of accomplishing their goals, and smart beyond measure.
Joseph O’Brien graduated from Slippery Rock University in 2003 with his Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and has been teaching in North Carolina for 17 years. He is married to Pam O'Brien and has two sons, Ashton and Liam. He currently is a fifth grade teacher at Rockfish Hoke Elementary School, located in Raeford, NC.
Joseph O’Brien began implementing Math Hoops at Rockfish Hoke Elementary School in the Fall of 2016. He implemented the program in the classroom and after becoming so popular, it was made into an after-school club. The Math Hoops Club began in October with 17 students and by the end of the year there were well over 50 students in the program. Rockfish Hoke Elementary School won the NBA Math Hoops North Carolina State Championships in 2016 and 2017, and in 2019 placed 2nd at the National Championship.
Rowan grew up in Northern Michigan in a village of less than a thousand people. She is a lover of books, all things nerdy, and animals. When she began her college career, she did not think that she would become a teacher. However, after volunteering at low-income schools in Southern Michigan, she discovered a passion for education that led her to graduate and teach English overseas in Taiwan. This fostered her love of teaching, and upon her return to the US, she joined the Relay Graduate program in Denver. She is now earning her Master’s degree in Education while teaching middle school math.
Sean is a 14-year veteran teacher who has spent the last 11 years teaching 4th grader math, science, and social studies at Bruce Guadalupe Elementary School in Milwaukee, WI. He was one of the initial educators to implement the Math Hoops program in Milwaukee, in conjunction with the Milwaukee Bucks. Twice, a student of his has been chosen for the Math Hoops National Championship, and he is a two-time All-Star Educator. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife and two children.
Eilisha Joy Bryson grew up in Philadelphia wanting to be a singer or a teacher. She decided to go with her love of learning and got her bachelor's degree from West Chester University and her master's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Gwynedd Mercy University. Joy has been a public school teacher for 21 years at Meredith School in Philadelphia. Most of those years were spent teaching middle school grades 6th - 8th, but she has also taught 2nd grade. Currently, Joy teaches 5th Grade Math and Science, which are her favorite subjects. She was so excited to learn that her student was selected as a 2020 NBA Math Hoops National Championship. She is absolutely honored to be a Learn Fresh All-Star Educator.
Austin Alm has worked in education for 12 years. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University, and a Master's Degree in Instructional Leadership from Utah State University. He has taught grades 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8. He loves watching and playing all sports, but especially enjoys cheering on the Utah Jazz. Besides sports, he loves to spend time reading, camping, and fishing. His favorite thing to do is be with his amazing wife, Diana, and their 4 awesome kids!
Adrienne Hwee is a 5th grade teacher at North Hillsborough School. She is a Bay Area peninsula native with 16 years of teaching experience in the San Bruno Park School District and Hillsborough City School District. She has spent her career teaching 3rd, 4th and 5th grades, including 3/4 and 4/5 combination classes.
She received her Masters of Arts in Education from UC Davis and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from SF State. Outside of the classroom, Adrienne enjoys running, attending live music concerts, exploring new places, refining her karaoke song list, perfecting her baking skills, and cheering on the Golden State Warriors. This is her second year with NBA Math Hoops; she loves the excitement, teamwork, and confidence that NBA Math Hoops has instilled in all of her students.
Julie was born and raised in New Orleans, LA. She is married and has two children, and teaches 4th/5th grade at St. Benilde School in Metairie, LA. She has been teaching there for 20 years. Although she has taught many subjects over the years, math has always been her favorite. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of New Orleans, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Holy Cross. She also enjoys being the moderator of Quiz Bowl, Spelling Bee, and coaching the Girls Cabbageball Team.
Ms. Koczela was born in Poland and came to the U.S. after completing eighth grade. After she graduated high school with Honors, she successfully completed the TIME 2000 Program (Teaching Improvements through Mathematics Education), a four-year secondary mathematics teacher preparation program that offered full scholarships. Later, Ms. Koczela completed her graduate studies in Queens College and received a Master of Science in teaching Mathematics to Children with Disabilities. Ms. Koczela has taught for 15 years at Divine Mercy Catholic Academy. Playing Math Hoops has enabled her students to develop a strong bond and a love for both math and basketball. Her students zealously play the game. One of her best experiences was attending a Math Hoops competition in Washington, DC in 2017. Seeing her students' faces light up doing math was a most worthwhile experience.
Conor Ike is the current Program Director at the Wallingford Boys and Girls Club in Seattle. He has a strong passion for Youth Development and is currently pursuing his master’s in Education Leadership and Administration at George Washington University. At the club, he is diligent in planning fun and academically enriching activities and is always looking for new ways to enhance the club experience. Math Hoops has been a great addition to achieving this goal. His students have thrived in the program and ask almost every day when they can play next. Conor and his students just completed their second season and qualified for the first time to this year’s National Championship.
Jen Dalby is currently a Special Education Teacher at Baltz Elementary School in the Red Clay Consolidated School District. She received her degrees in teaching and special education from the University of Delaware and has been an educator for 19 years. Having loved math since an early age, the NBA Math Hoops program has brought together this love and her love and understanding of basketball that was cultivated during her involvement in the Pep Band at the University of Delaware. As dedicated participants in the program, Jen and her students were chosen to take part in Learn Fresh's first-ever Math Hoops Community League in partnership with the Sixers Youth Foundation. Jen looks forward to continuing her involvement in all aspects of the NBA Math Hoops program.
Ian Wakefield has worked at Pony Express Elementary School for over five years. He was introduced to Math Hoops in a small conference room at the Sacramento Kings' offices and fell in love with the curriculum immediately. Each year, he attends the training and gets excited all over again, like it was his first year. He has introduced the opportunity to students from third grade to sixth grade, and is very proud of each student in the program. He students were able to win first place and second place at the 2018-19 Kings Math Hoops tournament.
