Inspire Math Science & Summer Institute Held
Twenty students, ages 11 to 13, completed the 2026 Inspire Math & Science Summer Institute in Bermuda from July 6 to 10, using the island’s caves, coastlines, and marine ecosystems as the setting for hands-on mathematics and science work.
A spokesperson said, “The Summer Institute was led by Dr. Lou Matthews, founder of Inspiremath, with Mr. Tim Sousa, a science educator based in Bermuda, serving as cofacilitator. This year’s theme was Caves, Connection, and Community.”
“Mr. Tim Sousa is an experienced science educator with two decades in Bermuda’s education system. He currently teaches at Warwick Academy. He brought his scientific expertise and his knowledge of Bermuda’s ecosystems to the design and delivery of the Summer Institute.”
“Building this week with Tim has been an awesome pleasure,” said Dr. Matthews. “He shaped which caves we entered, which coastlines we measured, and which questions we asked students to sit with.”
“What matters most to me is helping young people see how they live with math and science every day, and how they can use math and science to inspire the world around them: their communities, their families, and their country,” said Dr. Matthews. “That is what this Summer Institute is about.”
“One of the most rewarding parts of the week was watching students realize that science isn’t just something you learn from a textbook—it’s something you do,” said Mr. Sousa. “Seeing them ask better questions, gather evidence, and grow in confidence as they explained what they observed reminded me that Bermuda is one of the best classrooms we could ask for.”
A spokesperson added, “Students spent the week measuring irregular coastlines, conducting field observations in cave systems, snorkeling with Mr. Sousa to study marine environments, and applying a structured reflection framework called See, Mean, Matter, Respond to what they encountered each day. The week culminated in student-generated inquiry projects rooted in what each student cared about.”
Parent involvement was a central feature of the Summer Institute. Dr. Matthews and Mr. Sousa were in daily communication with families throughout the week, checking in on what students were learning at home and adjusting the program in real time based on parent input.
“We were talking to parents every single day,” said Dr. Matthews. ”We asked what their children were bringing home, and we changed our approach mid-week more than once to make sure we were maximizing the learning process. That level of parent involvement was a major plus of this Summer Institute.”
A spokesperson added, “Inspiremath is a WASC-accredited STEM education company based in Washington, DC. Inspiremath designs professional learning experiences for educators, immersive learning experiences for children and communities, and programming that engages families as partners in their children’s math and science learning. The 2026 Summer Institute in Bermuda was the first full year offering the program, following a pilot in the summer of 2025.
“Planning is underway for a two-week Summer Institute in 2027. Families and educators interested in learning more can contact info@inspiremath.org.”
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