N.C. A&T Alumni Times

Photo Courtesy of Teach for America

For Black History Month, Teach for America (TFA) showcased 13 African American leaders who are shaping the future in their communities. One of the 13, Candice Wilson-McCain ’03 was mentioned for her work with FLY Math Club, a nonprofit with a mission to create a world where every girl believes she is capable of achieving success in math, ultimately closing the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Wilson-McCain is currently serving with Teach for America as a manager of teacher leadership development, where she supports first year math teachers. She joined TFA in 2007 as a math teacher and found her passion of working with youth. She knew that she wanted to do more in her community by inspiring girls to be academic risk takers.

“I believe in the sense of possibility and that anyone can change the world with just one idea they feel strongly about,” said Wilson-McCain.

In 2012, Wilson-McCain started Boost Learning Solutions, Inc. which began as a summer camp program. Through their main program, FLY (Financial Literacy for Youth) Math Club, the organization brings together middle school aged-girls to build their confidence in math. It exposes girls to women mentors who are currently working in STEM careers through its Saturday Club, a nine-month program where students participate in workshops and execute service learning projects.

“I love when a girl comes to me and says ‘I want to be a mechanical engineer’ and I’m able to find a woman currently working in that career to mentor that child,” said Wilson-McCain. “It’s all about making the connection and showing girls the way by using math as a tool to close the gender gap in STEM.”

The nonprofit hosts an annual “Girls Love Math 2 Summit” where girls participate in team-building activities, a career exploration fair and hands-on STEM learning challenges. In addition, there is a summer camp program that provides girls with creative and engaging STEM-based activities to help them develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills. This year, the organization is on track to serve 160 girls through its club program.

To learn more about FLY Math Club, go to www.flymathclub.com.