Blackman-Waddell Summer Math Institute will offer gifted Guyanese students free access to world-class mathematics training

Jul 26, 2026 Features / Columnists, News

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…Rejected by QC Board, Elite Mathematics Camp Re-emerges as Independent Institute

(Kaieteur News) – After a decade of challenging some of Guyana’s brightest young mathematical minds, the former Queen’s College Alumni Summer Mathematics Institute has been re-established as an independent elite programme following its rejection by the Queen’s College Board of Governors.

Within weeks of that decision, the organisers created the Blackman-Waddell Summer Math Institute for Gifted Math Scholars, ensuring that an important national programme would continue at a time when Guyana desperately needs world-class talent in mathematics, technology, data science, engineering and related fields.

The Institute, being delivered in partnership with STEMGuyana, will bring together exceptional rising Third and Fourth Form students for an intensive week of university-style mathematics from 27^th July to 1st August . All selected students will receive full scholarships, making participation free. Nearly 40 students have applied for the limited 24 spaces available. Ironically, the majority of applicants attend Queens College.

Asked for comment, STEMGuyana Director and co-sponsor of this year’s Math Camp, Dr. Karen Abrams stated, “There is no comparable mathematics programme in Guyana. The Institute is designed specifically for gifted and highly motivated students who are ready to move beyond routine classroom exercises and engage with deeper mathematical ideas. This is a resource our young scholars desperately need at this time”

Participants will explore advanced problem-solving, mathematical proof, geometry, statistics, computational thinking, coding, number theory, cryptography and mathematical modelling. They will be expected to question assumptions, explain their reasoning, work collaboratively and persist through unfamiliar problems.

According to the statement released, this is not a remedial programme. Admission is competitive and intended for students who demonstrate exceptional mathematical ability, intellectual curiosity and a willingness to embrace difficult work.

Global expertise brought home

The Institute is led by two distinguished Guyanese mathematicians, Dr. Terrence Richard Blackman and Dr. Cleveland Waddell.

Dr. Blackman is Professor and Chair of Mathematics at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York. He is also scheduled to assume the role of Interim Dean of the institution’s School of Science and Allied Health in August 2026. A researcher, educator and mentor, he has spent years advancing mathematics education and expanding access to excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Dr. Waddell is an applied mathematician, data scientist and educator who serves as a Senior Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from North Carolina State University and brings extensive experience in advanced mathematics, data science and research.

The programme’s organisers believe Guyanese students should have access to the same standard of intellectual challenge expected at leading universities and research institutions around the world.

STEMGuyana Director Dr. Karen Abrams is supporting the independent Institute as part of the organisation’s wider mission to identify, prepare and create opportunities for exceptional Guyanese students.

A programme Guyana cannot afford to lose

For ten years, the summer mathematics programme operated under the Queen’s College alumni banner, exposing young Guyanese scholars to advanced mathematics and internationally respected instructors.

The decision by the Queen’s College Board of Governors to reject the programme raised serious questions about whether Guyana’s education institutions fully understand the urgency of cultivating advanced mathematical talent.

Guyana is attempting to build a modern economy driven by oil and gas, technology, engineering, finance, research and innovation. Each of these sectors depends on strong mathematical capacity. The country cannot speak seriously about transformation while turning away programmes that have already demonstrated the ability to identify and develop gifted students.

Rather than allow the programme to disappear, its organisers responded by building a new institution around its original mission. The rapid establishment of the Blackman-Waddell Summer Math Institute demonstrates what can be accomplished when experienced professionals place students and national development ahead of bureaucracy.

Students selected for this year’s Institute are drawn from schools across Guyana. They will arrive with different levels of exposure to mathematics, but they will be united by their curiosity and readiness to learn.

The organisers have made clear that students are not expected to know everything before entering the programme. What matters is their willingness to think deeply, ask questions, test ideas, learn from mistakes and attempt problems that may not have an immediately obvious solution.

The Institute will also give gifted students the opportunity to meet intellectual peers from other schools. For many talented young people, especially those who may feel insufficiently challenged in their regular classrooms, that sense of community can be transformative.

The Blackman-Waddell Summer Math Institute represents ten years of excellence, resilience and belief in Guyanese youth. Its message is simple: gifted children must be identified, supported and challenged. Their potential should never be limited by institutional resistance.

Guyana needs mathematicians, researchers, engineers, data scientists, innovators and problem-solvers. Programmes capable of developing that talent should be protected, expanded and supported.

The Blackman-Waddell Summer Math Institute is determined to bring global mathematical excellence to Guyanese scholars and prepare them to think deeper, solve bigger problems and help change the world.

If you are interested in sponsoring the programme for lunch, professional visit, career presentation or financial support, please make contact with Dr. Terrence Blackman at terrence.blackman@gmail.com.  The programme begins on Monday July 27th from 9am at the St Roses High School computer lab.

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• Blackman-Waddell Summer Math Institute, computer lab, mathematics training, St. Rose’s High School, STEMGuyana

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