At Math Corps, we’re serious about math — and just as serious about laughter.
Every summer, our classrooms fill with equations, energy, and… terrible jokes. From “Joke of the Week” skits to funny math joke posters hanging in the hallway, humor has become one of our most important teaching tools — not a distraction, but a bridge.
Laughter as Learning
Humor changes the emotional temperature of a room. When a middle-schooler walks into a classroom filled with laughter, their guard drops. Anxiety softens. Curiosity wakes up. Suddenly, math isn’t something to survive — it’s something to enjoy.
Science backs this up: laughter increases dopamine levels, improves focus, and strengthens memory. But we didn’t need a research paper to tell us that — we’ve seen it firsthand. The students who laugh together learn together. The mentors who make kids giggle are the ones kids remember forever.
The Joke of the Week: Our Comic Tradition
Every camp session, the “Joke of the Week” skit becomes a highlight — part variety show, and part absurdist theater. The jokes are often groan-worthy (okay, always groan-worthy), but that’s the point. They remind us that it’s okay to be silly, to take risks, and to find joy in the middle of hard work.
One week it’s a parody of Jeopardy! starring algebraic expressions. The next, it’s a melodrama about a lost protractor. What never changes is the laughter — the shared reminder that brilliance and joy can occupy the same space.
Why It Matters
When we say “loving and believing in kids,” humor is one of the ways we show it. Laughter tells our students: you belong here. You don’t have to be perfect. You can make mistakes, make noise, and make someone smile — all in the same hour.
In a world that can be heavy, Math Corps remains a place of lightness — where humor and hope go hand in hand, and where every punchline brings us closer as a family.
So here’s to the jokes, the skits, and the endless puns. Because when laughter is part of the equation, everyone wins.