A group is teaching weekly workshops to foster a love of mathematics and chemistry in teachers and students.

Bermudian Lou Matthews is behind the courses, which are run under the banner of iTeach – the Institute for Teaching Excellence, Action and Change.

He returned to the Island only recently, having worked for many years as a professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Bermudians however, might recognise him for his earlier work as president of The Benjamin Banneker Association. A grassroots organisation, it was based on the work of the early African American mathematician and astrologer.

Other residents might remember Dr. Matthews for his work with the Bermuda Education Review.

"The review was a sobering report for many Bermudians, it was a difficult report to put together," he said.

"In a nutshell that report talked about the quality of leadership, the quality of teachers, the professional networks that usually empower stakeholders, such as parents and teachers, education officers and principals. Ultimately these children were slipping through the cracks of learning support. It was a sobering reality."

Once the review was complete Dr. Matthews felt it was an appropriate time for change.

"It was ripe for action and change, particularly with regard to parents and educators," he said.

"And what I noticed was that there was a great lull in activity. I wondered how we could accomplish real action without just waiting for it."

iTeach was born as an answer to that question, he said.

"The aim was to empower educators – teachers and teacher leaders, supervisors – to see education differently, and reform ideas to build a movement," he said.

"We had about 20 teachers [who participated] last year and this year we have about 28."

In speaking with parents, members of the group realised they were worried about their childrens' futures also.

"Obama always talks about the urgency of 'now'," Dr. Matthews said of the US president. "So the urgency of now came upon us in terms of what can we do right now to help parents and to inspire children and how we engage children.

"So we are excited about the humble beginnings and it is now becoming a small movement and the movement is being moved by parents."

An information session was held this summer inviting people to register for the programme, said Dr. Matthews.

What makes the programme different is that it is not just for the "gifted" student.

"We see every kid as gifted and genius," said Dr. Matthews.

"All God's kids are gifted and we see every single kid as [having] something we need to extract out and we can use that something to learn mathematics and science, because everybody can do it."

There are currently 47 students at the primary school level. Additional classes are to be added next year.

"For the younger grades the focus is on integrating mathematics and science by having kids explore, at times critically, phenomena and things found in our everyday community," Dr. Matthews explained.

"Our youngest kids are exploring environmental science investigations such as [those taught by Tim Sousa] where the kids go and find examples of [items which are 'alive' and items which are not alive].

"In the older primary classes Mrs. Debbie Wade is having kids look at mathematical concepts like measurement and geometry, by examining the features of Bermuda houses.

"In the middle/early High School mathematics class, my students are using math to examine and model Bermuda's homelessness issue."

He continued: "I think what really distinguishes our academy is our intense, almost total devotion to excellent teaching.

"We are assisting our instructors to move outside the classroom so that kids can experience real math and science; to pose many questions and challenging problems. This means less focus on 'chalk and talk'. You will find kids doing, and teachers orchestrating. This is very deliberate on our part. We find the teachers find it liberating to be freed up to use their own imagination."

iTeach workshops are held above The Bargain Box, on Serpentine Road.

For more information send an e-mail: inspire@myiteach.org. To see a video visit www.facebook.com/InspireAcademy.