This past September, Carnegie Math Pathways partnered with Red Lake Nation College to host the final TCU-Carnegie Math Pathways Network Convening in Minneapolis, MN. For eight years, the collaboration between Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) and Carnegie Math Pathways supported by Project Success has fostered meaningful growth in math teaching and learning for TCU students and produced valuable professional camaraderie. This year’s event brought together tribal college math instructors, administrators, and Indigenous education experts from across North America to celebrate that progress, reconnect as a community, and imagine what’s next.
Looking back on it a month later, here are a few of the key takeaways from this year’s gathering:
1. Math Is More Fun in Community
How often do you get to participate in enriching professional learning alongside your closest colleagues and then indulge in friendly, competitive game nights? These are regular core elements of a TCU-Carnegie Math Pathways Convening. Coming together year after year as a network around a common goal of improving math education for TCU students has helped connect TCU math faculty from rural campuses to collaborate, share and learn. Being with peers from similar institutions has driven innovations and changes aligned with the unique needs of TCUs. It’s also been a chance to just nerd-out in fun ways with passionate math educators.
2. Flexible Tools + Culturally Relevant Teaching Make Math More Accessible
Online learning is here to stay, so how do we keep students engaged when they’re logging in from anywhere? TCU instructors shared some of their innovations and learnings: Hyflex models, virtual tools like Amplify and Desmos, and culturally grounded instructional activities are making math more inviting for students across all modalities. Flexibility means students can participate in ways that work for them, removing barriers and boosting retention in classes.
3. Let’s Shine a Light on TCU Innovations
TCUs are transforming math education, but these innovative practices deserve more visibility. There’s a growing call for undergraduate math research rooted in tribal contexts and priorities. Exciting projects presented by TCU math research fellows on student engagement strategies, Indigenous math program design, online developmental math certification, and culturally embedded math games illustrated fresh, student-centered approaches and showcased the value of amplifying TCU voices in the broader canon of undergraduate math research.
4. Students Are the Greatest Teachers
Student panelists at the Red Lake Nation College Minneapolis site visit shared a variety of math stories and experiences, illuminating impactful practices and insights on what matters to them. The students spoke powerfully about how cultural games, real-life applications, and hands-on learning made a positive difference in their math learning experiences. Many shared stories about “relearning” math, highlighting the impact that patient, supportive instruction makes.Their suggestions, from math clubs to community projects, revealed how integrating math into everyday life and culture helps make the subject feel welcoming and relevant to students.
5. A Path Forward Built on Relationships and Trust
The TCU-Carnegie Math Pathways convenings have been a space to elevate TCU educator voices and center the needs and contexts of TCUs with respect to math education. With the end of Project Success, attention turned to future opportunities to build on this collective effort. Convening discussions emphasized reciprocity, trust, and aligning research with what’s meaningful to TCUs and the communities they serve. The Project Success partnership has set a powerful example for future collaborative efforts with and among TCUs. It has also demonstrated the value of expanding our conceptions of what counts as math. The future of math education at TCUs lies in blending traditional knowledge, cultural values, and contemporary evidenced-based practices to create a more relational and inclusive path ahead.
The 2025 TCU-Carnegie Math Pathways Network Convening highlighted how community, culturally relevant teaching, and student voices continue to drive innovation and meaningful change in math education across tribal colleges and universities. Looking ahead, the commitment to collaboration, trust, and honoring Indigenous traditions will guide the next chapter of our work in creating accessible, engaging, and relevant math pathways for TCU students and communities.
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