Senior Faculty, BEAM Discovery

The mission of BEAM is to create pathways for students from low‑income and underserved communities to become scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists. Led by staff with these same technical backgrounds, BEAM believes that pathways to STEM careers are created through community, individual support, and access to advanced work that typically lies outside most school curricula. We work to directly support students and to transition them to other supportive enrichment programs that enable their future success.

BEAM's model provides continuous support from middle school through college graduation, including intense academic summer programs for middle school students (after 6th and 7th grade), weekend classes and mentoring, and STEM‑focused support through college. Our program includes not just access to learning advanced math but also support finding and applying to other opportunities, including support with college admissions and financial aid.

In addition to our academic content, bringing students into community is a key part of our mission and all of our work is designed to support that goal.

BEAM has grown from a small summer program serving 17 students in the summer of 2011 to a year‑round, national program, serving 420+ students at six summer program sites and 600+ students in year‑round programming in New York City and Los Angeles this school year. In addition, our BEAM National pilot program now reaches over 500 elementary‑aged students in seven different states, working to create a new nationwide pathway modeled on our local work.

With our strategic plan, our team has committed to transforming the organization from a successful startup to a more mature and scalable organization that can drive change across the country.

Senior Faculty, BEAM Discovery

BEAM Discovery is the first step in BEAM’s 10‑year Pathway Program, offering students an engaging introduction to advanced mathematical thinking in a supportive, inquiry‑driven environment.

As a Senior Faculty member, you will teach dynamic, inquiry‑driven math classes and serve as an instructional leader and mentor for Junior Faculty. You will help ensure classrooms are consistent, joyful, and mathematically rich for every student, while shaping students’ mathematical identities and supporting the growth of emerging educators.

Our classrooms are student‑centered, lively, and discussion‑rich. Students explore patterns, debate conjectures, justify their reasoning, and collaborate on open‑ended problems. Teachers guide thinking through purposeful questions, models, and structures that promote productive struggle. We affirm students’ strengths and identities and help them grow as confident, capable problem solvers.

Senior Faculty teach one to two classes each day using BEAM‑provided lesson materials that focus on reasoning, exploration, and confidence building.

• Logical Reasoning: Students explore puzzles and logic problems to develop structured thinking and casework skills.
• Math Fundamentals: Students deepen their understanding of foundational topics such as fractions, exponents, and geometry by exploring the conceptual “why.”

• Creative Problem Solving: Students work through contest‑style and puzzle‑based problems that emphasize creativity and flexible thinking.
• Applied Mathematics: Students examine real‑world contexts in biology, astronomy, programming, or voting theory to see how mathematics shapes the world.

(Returning Senior Faculty may propose original classes.)

• Teach one morning and/or one afternoon class using BEAM provided materials.
• Prepare thoroughly by understanding the mathematics, reviewing solutions, and identifying misconceptions and scaffolds.
• Adapt lessons to meet student needs while maintaining the core learning goals.
• Use visuals, structured questioning, and reasoning support for multilingual learners.
• Maintain pacing expectations and help faculty align on pacing across sections.

• Mentor one Junior Faculty member through regular check‑ins (at least every other day).
• Observe your…