Learning Opportunities

Dr. John Mighton, OC, is an award-winning mathematician and playwright, best-selling author, and founder of JUMP Math, who is internationally recognized for his ground-breaking work building children’s confidence, skills, and success in math.

John holds a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Toronto, a Master’s in philosophy from McMaster University and has taught mathematics at the University of Toronto. He is a lifetime Fellow of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences and has been awarded a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) fellowship for his post-doctoral research in knot and graph theory.

Due to the overwhelming success of this tutoring initiative, John founded JUMP Math (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies) in 2002 to address what he believed to be unnecessary inequities in student math achievement. JUMP Math has since grown into an award-winning charitable organization dedicated to enhancing every child's learning and life potential and addressing academic and social inequities through math education. Its evidence-based approach and comprehensive, curriculum-aligned Grades K-8 teaching resources empower educators in Canada, the US and other countries worldwide to build confidence, understanding and a love of mathematics in every student.

Lorraine is a PhD candidate in the Language Processing Lab, part of the University of Calgary’s ChILD Research Group. Lorraine obtained a Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of British Columbia in 2002 and worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist for Alberta Health Services for almost 10 years in Calgary area schools. She then stayed home with her two boys who are now in grades 4 and 6. She began to pursue her PhD in Cognitive Psychology in September 2018 and is now pursuing a passion to explore her research interests and bridging that with her clinical practice. She is studying how children learn abstract vocabulary, words that refer to something you cannot see or touch; like peace, friendship, and hope. She is also interested in literacy and the role of the home language environment. Lorraine has peer-reviewed research on the development of abstract vocabulary, addressing the challenge of learning sarcasm in children, and exploring what research can tell educators about learning language. Lorraine has also published in The Conversation and presented posters at national conferences. Lorraine received a Graduate Certificate in Knowledge Mobilization from Bishop’s University in 2021. Lorraine works with Calgary Reads on a community-based research project and is now managing the transition of Little Red Reading House to University of Calgary.