Library does not want to print math sheets, what do I do?

The program is a partnership between library, parents and volunteers where every partner has a specific role to play. OneInMath has been popular with parents and libraries it runs in, due to the fact that every student works at their own individual math ability, and we pay special attention to assess the student’s initial math level irrespective of grade, and tutors continuously work with the student to provide the individualized experience. This has benefitted tremendously to build confidence in students and in building a strong math foundation.

To meet this goal, we have to print math sheets that are specific to each student for every class. It ranges from 15 to 20 sheets per class per student.

1. The program is completely free, OneInMath has no source of income as we do not sell anything to the parents or volunteers.
2. OneInMath pays for developing and maintaining the OneInMath software (over 60,000 lines of code), for hosting the application, website etc. 
3. Library supports the program by providing support for printing. The cost is small compared to the benefits. For a capacity of say 25 students for the class, we need to print 25×20 = 500 sheets per class. On an average, the actual cost of printing this by the library is no more than $10-$20 per class.
4. OneInMath believes that focussing on early childhood can magnify the returns of having students who are more confident in later years as they grow up and increase the probability of choosing STEM. According to a research paper by professors at Carnegie Mellon, students who are weak in math in early years remain weak when compared to students who have a stronger foundation.
5. With OneInMath program, Library serves to address one of the critical need of the community and the country.
   1. Fear of math in early years contributes in only 16% (Education for Global Leadership) of the high school students choosing STEM.
   2. USA is falling behind (ranked 38 out of 71 countries) compared to other countries in student’s math capability. If USA falls behind, we all suffer over time.
   3. By supporting this program to strengthen the math foundation, they are helping to change the likelihood of more students choosing STEM which has significant economic impact. This in turn has a long term impact in growing the USA economy, as well as reduce crime in the neighborhood. According to a study by McKinsey Global Institute USA can add  $1.2 trillion/year to USA GDP by 2030.

Note: If library hesitates to print because the staff needs to be involved to print, then there are two alternatives you can suggest. 

1. They can provide access to a staff printer to couple of volunteers who can then print as needed.
2. Buy a dedicated portable printer, and provide supplies like paper, and 2 sets of ink cartridges, and you and your volunteer team can manage the printing yourself.

You may also ask the librarian if there are funds raised by library volunteers and if they can fund the cost. Many libraries have “Friends of the Library” program that raises funds to support such activies.

If needed, please contact us, and we can be in the meeting to help convince the librarian.