U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro was on hand on Oct. 31 at Northwest Vista College to present a $3.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education aimed at narrowing the achievement gap in math for underserved communities.
College Board research indicates that only 29 percent of Hispanic students are ready for college-level math courses. This alarming statistic results in lost educational and career opportunities for underserved students. The grant will support the NVC Community Math Project, in collaboration with UTSA and area community centers, to improve math knowledge of elementary education majors.
The Community Math Project is an all-encompassing math literacy initiative for college students, faculty, parents and their children. One of the important elements of this is providing sufficient math education for parents so that parents can support their children before and throughout their educational careers.
The Community Math Project will:
- Change the way elementary education majors understand how others learn math
- Improve the math knowledge of future teachers so they are able to effectively teach math at the elementary school level
- Enhance the appreciation of math among elementary education majors through hands-on learning by teaching parents at community centers
- Provide parents in underserved communities with the tools to be advocates in their children’s education
“Several years ago, NVC began a journey to change the way we teach and offer our students math, which we know is a major barrier for many students,” said NVC President Dr. Ric Baser. “This grant will also allow us to take our innovative approach to math into the communities and have a greater impact on incoming college students.”
