The Year of Math & Science

THE PARK CITY EDUCATION FOUNDATION DISCOVERED A TREND IN OUR DISTRICT:

PARK CITY STUDENTS ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN MATH AND SCIENCE COURSES AT THE SAME RATE AS TOP PERFORMING DISTRICTS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

Excellence in Math and Science is a cause I, as a parent, should care about because students are increasingly dependent on the skills and knowledge they are acquiring in today’s math and science lessons to analyze problems, imagine solutions, and bring new ideas into being. These skills are not only important to them as individuals, to have a competitive advantage in college admissions and in the workplace, but for the collective well being of our nation. The country’s capacity to innovate and the ability of students to thrive in the global economy depend on their understanding of math and science-based concepts.

Knowledge and skills from science and mathematics are crucial to virtually every endeavor of individual and community life. Park City students should actively engage in math and science coursework regardless of what educational path they pursue, or field in which they choose to work.

RESEARCH HAS SHOWN TEACHERS HAVE THE SINGLE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR CHILD’S SUCCESS IN SCHOOL

Teachers need opportunities to experience powerful math and science learning that is motivating, relevant, and inquiry-based. This type of learning is something teachers may not have received in their own earlier education, but will certainly be called upon to offer to their students. Museums and other science rich institutions are emerging as important sources of up-to-date learning for teachers in science, math and related disciplines. For example, The Exploratorium in San Francisco offers an intensive summer institute to secondary school science teachers, during which participants conduct experiments and test teaching units that they can later implement in their individual classrooms.

PCEF believes in the importance of making these professional development opportunities available to your student’s teacher while also providing communities of support to share effective teaching strategies, best practices and model new ideas in the classroom.

PCEF would like to be able to provide our teachers with dollars to implement new and creative classroom strategies. Imagine if Park City elementary students were introduced to science in an outdoor classroom, equipped with technology, that called on students to view, record, measure, and study insect and plant specimens found in their school gardens and play areas? Imagine if our high school students were paired with a mentor based on mutual scientific and technological interests. These are examples of hands-on learning that students respond to. This type of learning makes science and math exciting and relevant to every student in our district.

TO BE COMPETITIVE, WE MUST RAISE MONEY TO FUND THE CHRONIC BUDGET SHORTFALLS.

Utah spends the least amount of money per child compared to every other state in the country. And this year, we are facing deeper budget cuts and legislation that will take additional tax revenues out of our district. It is a reality that our schools need private contributions.

An example of what could be

Thomas Jefferson High School in Virginia, one of the best in the nation, provides students with remarkable opportunities to develop experience and proficiency in laboratory based research, experimentation, problem solving, design, modeling, fabrication, testing, evaluation, documentation and presentation related to engineering, scientific and other technical areas.

Their students are introduced to engineering design in the 9th grade; 10th and 11th graders dive into science and technology elective courses, and 12th graders complete a major science or engineering research project, either by working in one of the science and technology research laboratories or by working in a commercial, government or university research lab or technical facility through a mentorship program.

Students at Thomas Jefferson enjoy these rich opportunities because of the private partnerships the school has established with individual donors, business, industry, scientific and academic institutions. Annually, the school raises $750,000 to fill their chronic funding shortfall and to help meet the great expectations the community has for the school its graduates.

To give our students a competitive edge, we need to infuse private dollars into Park City’s public schools. PCEF calls on every parent and business in the community to help us give Park City students a chance to compete at the highest level. If we could raise $1 for every student, for every day they are in the classroom, Park City could also raise $750,000 every year.

Get involved by giving your time or money.

WHEN PCEF GETS BEHIND SOMETHING, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

For more than 20 years, the Park City Education Foundation has been filling the funding gap by providing Park City School District with private dollars to fund critical educational programs such as the After-School Enrichment Program at McPolin Elementary, Full-day Kindergarten, the International Baccalaureate Program, and the Community Scholarship Program. Without the financial assistance, administrative support and program evaluation provided by the Education Foundation, these programs would not be in place today. Our programs have verified positive results ranging from improving student’s math and reading skills to encouraging students to enroll in more AP and honors classes through the IB program, to boosting a child’s confidence in the classroom.