14-year-old Lazar Paroski loves math, but the subject isn’t as easy for some students.
One day, Paroski came across an article that highlighted low EQAO scores in the region, and realized he wanted to do something to change it.
“A couple of days later, I came across the Placemaking Challenge Grant,” Lazar says.
After receiving a grant for $6,000 it was time for the math whiz to get to work.
“I saw this music wall on Pinterest,” Paroski says. “I thought, why not a math wall? I can do that.”
Paroski considers it to be a community project.
“I engaged 462 kids from the area before I made this, to see what I should put on the wall,” Paroski says.
“I really wanted them to feel included and like they were a part of it,” he adds.
The math wall is geared towards students in grades 1 to 6 with tools to practice addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.
“I really find it important to learn math in the younger grades,” Paroski says.
The teen decided to set up the math wall outside in a park.
“Most kids don’t like math because you’re in a classroom,” Paroski says. “They can come to the park and still have all the same resources, but they can also play and it kind of makes math fun.”
As far as the future goes for this bright student, Paroski says he’s interested in engineering and medicine.
“I don’t really know yet though,” Paroski says. “Who knows where life is going to take me.”
