YR Stories: Kabir Sheth

I have been involved in Youth Resources since my sophomore year, when I joined the Teen Advisory Council and became a volunteer of the Teen Court program. When I heard about Make A Difference (MAD) Grants and their impact, I started thinking about projects that I could undertake.

I finally decided on a project focused on increasing interest in math among elementary students. I have enjoyed math since an early age and have always been interested in math puzzles, games, and problems. I see that many students dislike, or even fear, it. However, math skills are very important for many careers, especially in STEM. My project goal was to make math interesting and fun for elementary students.

I ran a program at Delaware Elementary School on Thursdays after school. I worked with about 15 students from 3rd through 5th grade. I purchased a kit from a non-profit with the MAD grant money to help during the sessions. The kit contained many math games that focused on addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions. I worked with the students as they played the games in groups. They really enjoyed playing the games and I believe that overall, the students were more interested in math and were more comfortable with math than at the beginning of the project.

I liked working with the students and found the whole experience gratifying. This year, I have just kicked off a similar program at the West Terrace Elementary School. I am using the kit from last year and have added supplemental material through another MAD grant.

Youth Resources has such a positive impact on the community through its diverse programs. It also helps students of all ages learn valuable life lessons and skills. I am truly thankful that I am a part of YR!

Kabir Sheth is a junior at Signature School. He has been involved for two years with TAC and Vanderburgh County Teen Court. This is second year completing a Make A Difference Grant project.