Request for Proposals: Reimagining Math in Cambridge Through Equity, Joy, and Access

The Cambridge STEAM Initiative, in partnership with the Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) Math Department, invites funding proposals from nonprofit organizations that provide high-quality math enrichment programs for children and youth from early childhood through Grade 12. We also welcome proposals from out-of-school time (OST) programs interested in adding or expanding high-quality math enrichment within their school year or summer programming. 

The goal of this funding opportunity is to give more Cambridge young people access to engaging math experiences outside the school day — programs that make math fun, meaningful, and accessible while helping young people build confidence, curiosity, and problem-solving skills. We are looking to partner with OST programs that advance the math equity goals of the Cambridge STEAM Initiative and CPS Math Department, particularly those that center youth voice in shaping math experiences and foster a positive math mindset and math identity in the young people they serve. Program costs must support youth who are Cambridge residents. Priority will be given to programs that focus on serving young people historically excluded from STEAM opportunities.

The funding cycle will span October 15, 2026 through June 30, 2028. The total funding available will be a combined total of $70,000 in funds per year, with a maximum of $25,000 for one program. Grants will be awarded for up to two years, based on ability to meet program goals in year 1. 

For more information and to apply, please review and complete this Request for Proposals (RFP) form. 

Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2026. Funding decisions will be announced by Wednesday, September 30, 2026. 

Applicants can use this text version of the RFP form to draft their answers before submitting the form.

If you have questions, please contact Sharlene Yang, Director of the Cambridge STEAM Initiative, at syang@cambridgema.gov. 

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Connection to Math is a Civil Right Movement

The Cambridge STEAM Initiative and the CPS Math Department believe that when caregivers, out-of-school time (OST) educators, peers, and community members feel confident and curious about math, that energy is contagious. Our vision is a Cambridge where math belongs to everyone: where people of all ages can see themselves as math learners and teachers, where math is recognized as relevant to daily life, and where curiosity and joy replace the anxiety that so many carry about the subject.

This vision is informed by two years of collaboration with OST partners through our Math is a Civil Right collective action group, which has focused on listening to and learning from the young people most affected by inequities in K–12 math education, and supporting OST educators in bringing engaging math activities into their programs. We believe that building enthusiasm for math outside of school — across families and communities, not just classrooms — is essential to improving math literacy and shifting how our community as a whole relates to math. 

For more information, visit: www.cambridgema.gov/steam/mathcivilright