Penn Receives Grant to Strengthen Middle-Grades Math, Prepare Students for Engineering Careers

The University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education and School of Engineering and Applied Science have been awarded $300,000 from the GE Fund to improve students’ math skills in two West Philadelphia elementary schools and to open up new career opportunities.

The curriculum at the Penn-assisted elementary school, which has not yet been named, and the Henry Lea Elementary School will be adapted one year at a time so that at the end of the three years eighth-graders will be ready for algebra.

Some features of the grant include an annual summer institute where teachers prepare for the school year, a year-long professional development study group that focuses on major mathematical concepts, regular classroom and school-based mentoring and assessment of student work and academic support, including career exploration. The curriculum for grades 6, 7 and 8 will also prepare students for entrance into the Philadelphia school district’s selective high schools.

The program invests in students from inner-city neighborhoods to give them the education needed to succeed in high-tech business, engineering and information-technology careers.