Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for the Consortium's Summer Program Incubator are similar to the criteria for Consortium membership, but somewhat more flexible:

• The Incubator is intended to help start in-person, not-for-profit summer programs at which participants do intensive mathematics with a focus on enrichment rather than acceleration.
• Participants must commit to make some effort toward diversity, equity and inclusion and to eventually offer financial assistance to students who need it.
• The Incubator is primarily geared toward US-based programs serving middle and high school students, but we are happy to have some flexibility here. (Note, however, that funding for some Incubator activities, such as visiting Consortium member programs during the summer, may not be available to international programs.)

Timeline

Below is the planned timeline for the 2025–2026 Incubator cohort. However, since this is the first year of the Incubator, everything here is subject to change. The first cohort of participants will play a key role in shaping the program for future years.

October 2024

• Application launches (sign up to be notified)

January 2025

• Applications due January 21, 2025

February 2025

• Incubator participants selected. Each participant is matched with a Consortium member or affiliate program that will serve as their Mentor for the next two years.
• Introductory meeting for the new cohort of Incubator participants, hosted by the Consortium's Incubator Committee. The cohort is an essential component of the Incubator program: cohort members will be working together for the next two years, sharing ideas and relying on each other for encouragement and support.
• Participants receive access to all Consortium resources, including a set of introductory materials prepared especially for the Incubator.
• Each participant has their first one-on-one meeting with their Mentor program, to discuss their goals and make a plan for the next few months.

Spring 2025

• Participants meet one-on-one with their Mentors at least twice more during the spring. Mentors are also available to answer questions as needed.
• The Incubator Committee hosts monthly cohort meetings with presentations on topics of interest to Incubator participants (program planning and logistics, recruiting students and staff, fundraising, etc). The monthly meetings are also an opportunity for cohort members to get to know each other, share information, and ask for advice.
• In late spring, the Incubator Committee will arrange an individual check-in meeting with each cohort member. By this time, the goal is for each Incubator participant to develop a clear vision for their program and a detailed plan of action for the following academic year.

Summer 2025

• Each Incubator participant will have the opportunity to visit their Mentor's summer program and/or programs of other Consortium members/affiliates. The Consortium plans to provide funding for these visits.

Fall 2025

• Incubator participants the Consortium's annual conference, with travel and housing funding provided by the Consortium.
• Each participant begins to implement the plan that they developed the previous spring, with continuing support from their Mentor, the Incubator Committee, and fellow cohort members.
• Monthly cohort meetings and regular check-ins with Mentors continue. The Incubator Committee also schedules two one-on-one meetings with each participant, to make sure that everything is on track for program launch.

Winter and spring 2026

• Mentors and the Incubator Committee are available to assist with program preparation as needed.
• Monthly cohort meetings end, since at this stage each participant is likely to be dealing with a different set of challenges. However, participants are invited (and encouraged) to attend the monthly meetings of the next cohort that has just joined the Incubator: the newcomers will have a lot to gain from their experience and advice.

Summer 2026

• Incubator participants launch their summer programs! Mentors, the Incubator Committee, and fellow cohort members continue to be available for advice and support.
• If they wish, participants can request for someone from the Incubator Committee, their Mentor program, or another Consortium program to visit them during the summer, in order to observe and give feedback. We can’t guarantee that this will always be possible, but we’ll do our best.

Fall 2026

• The cohort meets to discuss the successes and challenges of their first summer and their plans going forward.
• Participants attend the Consortium conference to debrief on their summer and to help support the next Incubator cohort.
• The Incubator Committee conducts a survey/evaluation of the departing cohort to get feedback on the Incubator Program and suggestions for improvement.