ACE 3 Scholars is a two-week residential summer intensive that pairs applied mathematics with college readiness for rising uppers in the Andover = Challenge + Empower (ACE) program — primarily students who have completed Algebra 2 and Geometry but have not advanced further in the math sequence. It follows a Learning Steering Committee recommendation for a third ACE year and implements a differentiated-math recommendation from the 2023 Root Cause program evaluation.
The program’s premise is that for these students, the barrier is belonging and mathematical identity, not ability. They have not been excluded by aptitude — they have quietly opted out of mathematics amid Andover’s culture of competition, speed, and timed testing. National programs like MathRoots, MS², and Thrive Scholars would likely not reach these students do not reach because they would not seek to apply. Many of them have decided by the end of their junior year (9th grade) that they “are not good at math.”
Rather than accelerate students through the standard algebra – precalculus sequence, ACE 3 uses discrete mathematics — voting theory, graph theory, and social choice — as an enrichment pathway – rooted in interdisciplinary studies that intersect across math and democracy. The lessons would be a seminar format along with a college-access program, and carried into the school year through mentorship.
The pilot cohort of up to 16 rising uppers is targeted for July 2027 which is close to the current 2026 ACE 2 class, and housed alongside regular Summer Session students in Flagstaff dorms.
