| Statement (2012) | Agreed | STEM major, agreed | STEM major, disagreed | Lift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I see myself as a math person. | 44% | 43% | 31% | +12 |
| Others see me as a math person. | 46% | 43% | 30% | +13 |
| I am confident in my ability to do an excellent job on math tests. | 65% | 39% | 31% | +8 |
| I am certain that I can understand the most difficult material presented in math textbooks. | 53% | 41% | 32% | +9 |
| I am certain that I can master math skills. | 71% | 40% | 28% | +12 |
| I am confident in my ability to do an excellent job on math assignments. | 74% | 39% | 28% | +11 |
| I see myself as a science person. | 48% | 46% | 26% | +20 |
| Others see me as a science person. | 43% | 47% | 27% | +20 |
| I am confident in my ability to do an excellent job on science tests. | 66% | 39% | 30% | +9 |
| I am certain that I can understand the most difficult material presented in science textbooks. | 59% | 41% | 31% | +10 |
| I am certain that I can master science skills. | 69% | 40% | 27% | +13 |
| I am confident in my ability to do an excellent job on science assignments. | 75% | 40% | 28% | +12 |
The one place the claim alone does nothing
Among Black students, those who agreed they were a math person became STEM majors at 34%, and those who disagreed at 36%. The same group reports the highest test confidence of any (70%). For “science person” the lift is there: 45% against 28%. A claim with no proof behind it does not move anything, which is why this campaign will not let anyone claim before they prove.
Who gets encouraged
Percent of students who said each person encouraged them to take their math course (NSF table K12-5). The witness link is built for the low numbers in this table.
| All students | Male | Female | White | Black | Hispanic | Asian | Other or two or more races | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| My parents encouraged me | 32% | 31% | 33% | 37% | 26% | 23% | 39% | 29% |
| A teacher encouraged me | 34% | 32% | 36% | 37% | 32% | 29% | 41% | 31% |
| A counselor suggested it | 36% | 35% | 38% | 36% | 38% | 38% | 36% | 36% |
| I really enjoy math | 33% | 34% | 32% | 32% | 40% | 30% | 48% | 31% |
| It was required | 70% | 69% | 71% | 67% | 76% | 77% | 54% | 72% |
How it works
- Prove it. Pick a level from 1 to 5 and solve one problem. The server grades it. A wrong answer costs nothing and nobody sees it; the next problem is new.
- Get seen. You get a link. Send it to someone who has watched you work: a parent, a teacher, a coach, a friend. They open it, see your proof, and say “I see a math person.”
- Claim it. After a proof and a witness, the sentence is yours to say, and the badge with it.
- Pass it on. Everyone who opens your link is invited to prove their own. Each one who does is on your chain, and their chain is on yours.
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.
Questions people ask
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.
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.