When schools shut down in evacuation zones surrounding the Palisades and Eaton fires, the UCLA Olga Radko Endowed Math Circle, or ORMC, leaped into action to ensure students did not fall behind in math. ORMC students and faculty immediately connected with closed schools to offer remote mathematics instruction for all grade levels.
Zoe Heiderscach originally had a class of 10 first-grade students, and when their school resumed classes in online format, Heiderscach took a class of second graders. Lara Dolecek, a UCLA electrical engineering professor, taught a class of 15 fifth-grade students, and computer science professor Raghu Meka instructed seven sixth-grade students. Santa Monica College student and ORMC member Michael E. Salko taught a class of 10 fourth graders.
Calvary Christian School in Pacific Palisades had the last group of students learning from ORMC members after the others returned to online learning. Instruction was scheduled to end Friday with ORMC, with their school set to resume the following Monday.
The OMRC, formerly the Los Angeles Math Circle, is a free top-tier math circle attracting elementary, middle and high school students interested in mathematics and eager to learn. ORMC is a program of the Department of Mathematics at UCLA. Following the traditions of Russian and Eastern European math circles, the program focuses on showcasing the beauty of mathematics and its applications, improving problem-solving skills, preparing students for a variety of contests and competitions, creating a social context for mathematically inclined students and attracting students to math-related careers.
