Diversity Matters

The Foundation and its sponsors are committed to increasing and expanding access and inclusion in our Modeling the Future Challenge to students who are traditionally underserved.

Title 1 and underserved schools have reported they don't have the resources to help their students with higher level math projects. The MTFC Quest Track is an opportunity for these students to complete real-world math and data analysis projects with no math prerequisite. It was developed to provide resources, such as the actuarial process, which helps students use math and data analysis to solve real world problems in their own community.

Through this initiative, we hope to increase the number of participating students from underserved communities and diverse demographics and ultimately, bring more diversity to the STEM talent pipeline.

The Foundation celebrated Diversity Month with a Virtual Happy Hour. Guest speaker Dr. Leroy D. Nunery II shared some of his research about DEI in the insurance industry. Additionally, Foundation Trustees provided updates on how the Foundation is navigating DEI through its programs and resources. Watch the video of the event below.

Although many scholarship programs have been developed to increase diversity, the needle hasn’t moved. The Foundation’s STEM Stars Actuarial Scholars Program identifies, recruits and supports skilled high school students interested in the field. With this new approach, we believe we can finally move the needle by providing help that starts in high school, extends into college and continues through a career. The new program offers high school seniors a scholarship of $20,000 ($5,000 annually for four years). Along with financial support, it includes mentoring, tutoring, immersion experiences and guaranteed internships.

The Foundation’s Math Motivators tutoring program now has virtual tutoring options for students, which makes it easier to bring to the program to additional underserved communities across the nation. Additionally, approximately 75% of Math Motivators students are eligible for free or reduced school lunch, and 70% identify as Black, African American, Latino/Latina or of Spanish origin.

The Foundation’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, led by Trustees Olga Jacobs and Emily Gingrich, is in the process of measuring and gathering data on Foundation programs and activities to ensure they are intentionally built and executed with a goal of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.