About Us
Elevate Math Wyoming is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Our mission is to increase access to math support and enrichment for Teton County youth in grades K-12.
The Issues
Teton County, Wyoming suffers from a lack of equitable resources to support math education both in and out of the classroom.
1 - Yearly state WY-TOPP testing reveals that:
underserved TCSD students consistently underperform in math across all grade levels; and,
all students underperform in several grade levels compared to other large WY districts.
2 - TCSD and local non-profits have highlighted a critical gap in math support services at the elementary school level. Elementary math achievement strongly predicts later academic and career success, yet there are currently no free, math-focused afterschool offerings in Teton County.
3 - Options for high-performing and gifted students to accelerate and access math enrichment services are also limited, with no school-funded, formal support offered to rising 6th graders who have the first opportunity to accelerate. This disadvantages underserved students, decreasing their likelihood of later being placed in advanced and AP math classes in high school.
4 - Private, in-person math support for intervention, acceleration or enrichment is not accessible to many students, with market rates > $150/hr.
With public education funding constantly at risk, leveraging community systems and resources represents an effective method to address these significant needs.
View some of the data here.
Math education shapes our nation’s competitiveness, equity and prosperity - not just academic success.
Read about it at AP News
Our Goals
MATH SUPPORT AND ENRICHMENT FOR ALL
ROBUST, ALL LEVELS PROGRAMMING
COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND MENTORSHIP
Our Approach
Elevate Math Wyoming aims to address the local need for additional math support and enrichment by leveraging the skills of math tutors, volunteers, mentors and a collaboration with the Teton County School District to provide effective and equitable math support both in and out of the classroom. Our 2025/2026 school year programming includes:
1-1 tutoring services for math intervention, acceleration and enrichment.
In-class skilled support for Teton County School District’s high-needs middle and high school public math classrooms.
After-school, volunteer-driven, elementary programming at “After the Bell” to practice core math concepts and develop number sense with fun, interactive games.
Spring math intensive pilot programs to provide extension and enrichment to “advanced” elementary students and targeted support to students in-need prior to entering middle school.
Elevate Math Wyoming is working to foster a community-wide network of support through providing:
Access to training and a library of research-based math resources and supplies for all program tutors and collaborators.
Mentorship program pairing rising STEM stars with industry professionals.
Elevate Math Wyoming offers all programming free of cost and uses a weighted lottery process to prioritize students with the highest needs.
Learn more about our proposed programming, get involved or donate to our fundraising campaign.
View our complete, non-profit proposal HERE.
A 1984 study still widely cited today demonstrated that 1-on-1 tutoring instruction can generate learning gains of approximately two standard deviations when compared to regular classroom instruction.
The University of Chicago’s Education Lab reported that in-school tutoring programs in Chicago and Georgia improved math scores by about two-thirds of a year’s worth of learning.
The data.
The 2023/2024 WY-TOPP (Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress) math proficiency scores for the Teton County School District demonstrate a clear correlation between underserved populations and non proficient math scores across all grade levels.
Furthermore, less than 50% of the general student population scored proficient/advanced in math at the 6th and 9th grade levels.
2023/2024 TCSD Math proficiency scores ranked against other comparable Wyoming school districts indicate the entire TSCD student population is underperforming at several grade levels, especially 6th grade.
In 2023/2024, 32.5% of the student population at Teton County School District (TCSD) were hispanic, 26.1% came from low-income families, and 16.3% were active English Language learners.
The underserved population at TCSD represents a significant cohort of students who are underperforming in math and are least likely to afford private math support services. These students are also not on track to meet interim and 15-year performance goals at the middle and high school levels.
Jackson Hole High School:
Jackson Hole Middle School:
These factors all converge to lead to under-representation of underserved student groups in high school advanced and AP math classrooms. (Most recent data from civilrightsdata.ed.gov).
To contribute to our efforts, make a donation.
Elevate Math Wyoming was founded in February 2025 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our purpose is to support public math education in Teton County. Learn more about our leadership below.
Tax ID: 33-3159524
Board of Directors
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Amanda Moyer, MS - Board President and Founder
Amanda earned dual BS degrees in Geology and Environmental Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a MS degree in Geochemistry from the University of Wyoming. Amanda has worked as a Geologist in the private and government sectors, as well as led the adult education program and served as an adjunct math instructor for Central Wyoming College - Jackson. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Old Wilson Schoolhouse (a nonprofit community center) and provides private math tutoring services to local K-12 and college students.
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Rachael Karns, M.Ed. - Board Treasurer and Secretary
Rachael earned a BA in Anthropology with a Certificate in African Studies from Smith College and a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Colorado, Denver. With experience teaching Kindergarten through 5th grade in both public and private elementary schools, she has a deep understanding of early childhood and elementary education. As a curriculum developer for Discovery Education, she played a key role in designing Egypt’s national mathematics curriculum and scripting educational segments for Egyptian Public Television to support students and their families in learning mathematical concepts. Rachael currently serves as a K-5 Mathematics Specialist at Jackson Elementary School, where she leads multi-tiered systems of support to enhance math instruction and intervention.
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Jeffrey Rosenbluth, PhD - Director
Dr. Jeffrey Rosenbluth graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BSE in Computer Science, earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from the Courant Institute at NYU, and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago. He is a private investor and former Managing Director and head of Fixed Income Arbitrage at Salomon Brothers, Inc. Dr. Rosenbluth serves as an overseer of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a trustee of Harvey Mudd College and is a founding member of the nonprofit board of Math for America.
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Rebecca Apfelberg - Director
Rebecca Apfelberg earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Television, Radio, and Film Production, with a minor in Anthropology from Syracuse University. During her time at Syracuse, she pioneered a mentorship program connecting Syracuse Public Schools with the university—an impactful experience that ignited her lifelong dedication to community service.
Following a prolific career in international marketing and public relations with Sony Music and the law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, as well as television production at Fox TV Studios, Rebecca redirected her efforts toward philanthropy and educational initiatives.
Rebecca has served on Committees of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and various local schools. She also co-founded and served as Executive Director of Change 4 Children’s, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Child Life Services across hospitals nationwide. In this role, she played a pivotal part in securing funding and resources to make hospital experiences less intimidating and more comforting for children.
Driven by her experiences as a parent and community advocate, Rebecca is honored to serve on the Board of Elevate Math WY. She is committed to advancing its mission of expanding opportunities and resources for students and families, and looks forward to contributing to its important work.
Meet the Team
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Aaron Nydam Ed.D.
MATH TUTOR
Aaron Nydam is thrilled to be a part of Elevate Math. He brings over twenty years of experience as a science and math teacher and teacher educator, creating meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that connect students with knowledge. He holds a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wyoming, where his research examined how teachers build resilience in Wyoming schools.
Aaron has taught and mentored learners from elementary to graduate levels, including instructing science and education courses for the University of Wyoming and leading graduate programs at Teton Science Schools. His teaching emphasizes inquiry, exploration, and real-world application.
Whether guiding clients through Yellowstone or coaching future teachers online, he brings curiosity, connection, and care to every learning experience. When not teaching or talking about teaching, Aaron can be found riding his bike, releasing trout, or enjoying adventures with his family—fondly referred to as moments of “forced fun.”
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Steve Spence Ed.M.
MATH TUTOR
Steve worked for over 20 years in the tech industry at HP and Google as a programmer, course developer, instructor, and technical writer. He retired from tech to pursue his love of teaching by getting a Master's degree in Education. He currently teaches at Jackson Hole Classical Academy.
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Hatilie Anderson
MATH TUTOR
Bio forthcoming.
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Jeffrey Kail
MATH TUTOR AND JES “AFTER THE BELL” LEAD
Jeffrey Kail has lived in Jackson with his family for the past five years. He served as Adjunct Professor of Bass at the University of Missouri–Kansas City from 2010 to 2020 and as Principal Bass of the Kansas City Symphony from 2006 to 2023. He is currently a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra and a substitute teacher for Teton County Schools. He is the father of two and a graduate of Indiana University.
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Mel Paradis, M.S.Ed.
ENRICHMENT SPECIALIST
Mel is a National Board Certified Teacher with more than 20 years of experience supporting learners in the Tetons through inclusive, student-centered education. Her career spans outdoor and experiential learning, and public and private school settings. She most recently served as a TCSD Elementary PEAK Teacher and Coordinator, where she led advanced learning and enrichment programs for students with a wide range of strengths and needs.
Mel earned her Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University, where she is currently pursuing her doctorate focused on expanding access to advanced learning opportunities and reducing excellence gaps in rural communities. Mel is the Founder of Paradis Educational Partners, where she collaborates with families, educators, and student support teams to design strengths-based solutions that help complex learners grow and succeed.
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Vera Donovan M.S.
JHHS IN-CLASS SKILLED SUPPORT
Bio forthcoming.
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Nicole Mansfield
JHMS IN-CLASS SKILLED SUPPORT
Bio forthcoming.