Public-Private Partners Spark Interest in Math, Science Among Novato Kids

Talk about a challenge: Getting middle schoolers interested in math and science just when their minds are transfixed with video games, sports, flirting and romance. Having those students be new English-language learners provides an extra twist. But the and the Petaluma-based North Bay Leadership Council believe they know the trick.

The two entities are combining forces to start something called the Algebra Academy to jump-start students’ knowledge in math and science and give them some real-life experience from North Bay professionals.  Starting Aug. 1, the three-week program designed for 20-30 seventh- and eighth-graders provides two hours of instruction each day and two hours of “lab experience” with people who work in math or science subjects for a living.

Teachers handpicked children for the program and invited them to participate.

And the whole deal is free thanks to volunteers and corporate donors.

“This is our first venture into this,” said Cynthia Murray, president and CEO of the North Bay Leadership Council. “What we’re trying to do is get a recognition that these public-private partnerships are possible to help these kids. Education is one of our top public policy issues. We see it as a lynchpin as the future of the economy and having an informed leadership. This is something we’re encouraging more of our members to do.”

Following a method that worked well for the Santa Rosa Unified School District, leaders in Novato hope to inspire the next generation of employees who use math and science skills in daily life. Julie Mangada, a Ph.D post-doc research fellow at the , is one of those experts who can’t wait to get the kids fired up. Just a few weeks before working with Algebra Academy students at the Buck Institute, she’ll be leading nature hikes at a Boy Scout camp and projecting microscopic images of insects onto a computer screen.

“Until you’ve seen a tick or flea at 100X, you have no idea,” she said with a laugh. “… When I talk to adults about science, they get that glazed-over look in their eyes like ‘This is going to be painful.’ When I talk to kids, they’re not intimidated by it yet, they haven’t heard it enough that science can be difficult, so they’re ridiculously excited.”

The and are lined up during the first week of instruction, and the representatives , Infineon Raceway and the Buck Institute will work with the kids after that.  The districts and businesses involved are providing tours of their facilities and lunches for the kids as well.

“They’ll get exposed to how math and science are involved in those careers,” Murray said. “… (The workers) love participating and helping the kids. They really start to appreciate it when you see their careers through new eyes and kids say, ‘Wow, you do something really cool.’”

Vicki Romero, the director of curriculum and instruction for Novato schools, scientists and technicians to attended a recent orientation meeting were just as excited as the kids. She said lead teacher Cheryl Griffin, a math teacher at , visited each academy location and has devised the lesson plans.

Romero said the closure of this summer is an important factor for the academy.

“Kids are already talking with each other about it because kids from Hill, San Jose and will all be together for us,” she said. “Some of them will be changing schools, and this might really help with that transition.”

The North Bay Leadership Council said its goal with the academy is “to improve education so that there will be a highly skilled workforce in the North Bay ready to fill the jobs generated by the region’s employers.” Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Kaiser Permanente and defrayed the costs of the academy by making donations.