Right now in Appleton, WI
Counting…
Who signs up. The student signs up with a first name or nickname.
What a proof looks like. Levels 3 to 5: geometric sequences, equations with parentheses, a fraction of a fraction, reverse percents, probability without replacement.
What a witness says. "You worked a probability problem I would have had to look up. I see a math person."
The next step. The STEM Compass assessment, to see which careers fit the identity.
Start here: one problem
A first name or nickname is all we ask for. No email, no last name, no birthday. For a child under 13, a parent or teacher signs up and sits beside them.
About Appleton, WI
8 counties across Wisconsin; 4 metro. Economies: 5 manufacturing and 2 tourism and recreation. Flags: 1 population loss.
The first person from Appleton, WI to reach a claim holds its Pioneer badge for good. There is one per county, one per metro area and one per state.
What the national data says
In 2012 NSF asked eleventh graders whether they agreed with “I see myself as a math person.” 44% did. In 2016, 43% of those who agreed were STEM majors, against 31% of those who disagreed.
Being seen counts as much as seeing it yourself: for “Others see me as a math person.” the figures are 43% and 30%. Test confidence is more common (65% have it) and weaker: 39% against 31%.
Counties in Appleton, WI
What people search for
Questions people ask
Why can't I claim it right away?
Because in the national data a claim with nothing behind it does not move anything. Here the claim unlocks after one graded proof and one witness, so the sentence means what it says.
Does it cost anything?
No. There is nothing to buy, and no badge, rank or point can be bought. A purchase never fires a trigger.
What do you collect about my child?
A first name or nickname, a role, a language and, if you choose, a county. No email, no last name, no birthday. For a child under 13 the adult signs up and sits beside them.
Where do the numbers come from?
NSF's High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, published in Science and Engineering Indicators (NSB-2021-1), tables SK12-27, SK12-28 and K12-5.