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The Cesar Chavez Foundation and TERC Announce their New Program, AMPD4Math, that draws on students’ desire to help others

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The Cesar Chavez Foundation and TERC Announce their New Program, AMPD4Math, that draws on students’ desire to help others.

[September 21, 2022] – The Cesar Chavez Foundation and TERC will develop community-improvement projects that also help middle school youth learn mathematics as well as traditional and high-tech crafts. In one project, youth will design and build a system to collect rainwater for the gardening and harvesting of fresh vegetables in “food desert” areas. Makers from the community, such as welders or carpenters, will be recruited to build water tanks using students’ 3D-printed innovative irrigation system designs.

The Cesar Chavez Foundation will infuse this program with Cesar Chavez’s core values in connection with students’ experiences and their communities while TERC will provide support for the students to learn the mathematics skills they need to succeed in their future education and careers.

“I am thrilled that TERC and the Cesar Chavez Foundation can collaborate on this project to reach Latinx youth. For us, understanding and using mathematics is a matter of civil rights. Success in math opens doors to understanding and enacting change in the world and opens pathways to higher education opportunities for those who understand it,” shared Teresa Lara-Meloy, TERC Principal Investigator. “We believe that designing AMPD4Math alongside youth and their afterschool leaders is the way to ensure the programs’ relevance to youth and their communities. TERC brings to the program 50 years of experience in designing and researching innovative math and science programs with a focus on educational equity and justice.”

After its development and effectiveness tests, the Cesar Chavez Foundation will bring the program to 100,000 students across the Southwestern U.S. Dr. Celia Garcia Alvarado, Executive Vice President of Education & Co-Principal Investigator shared, “The aim of this program directly aligns to our Education Fund’s mission to build a just society by educating the hearts and minds of children through culturally responsive, diverse products and services in under-resourced communities. We are happy to work side-by-side with TERC on this innovative program that will authentically connect mathematics, community, and student voice.”

To learn more about AMPD4Math and get updates on their progress, visit www.terc.edu/projects/AMPD4Math.

The AMPD4Math project is funded by the National Science Foundation under the Advancing Informal Science Learning program under award number 2215382.

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San Diego Unified School District and Cesar Chavez Foundation Collaborate to Strengthen Students’ Literacy Skills and Social-Emotional Learning

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Students from San Diego Unified School District are developing their hearts and minds this summer with the Cesar Chavez Foundation’s summer literacy curriculum.

SAN DIEGO-[July 6, 2022] Students in grades TK-8 across the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) attending the morning Level Up Academic Program are participating in literacy and language rich lessons incorporating a diverse range of children’s literature, including learning the story of Cesar Chavez and his leadership in the Farm Workers’ Movement. Students build classroom communities, develop reading and writing skills, express themselves through art and dance, and build social-emotional learning skills with this engaging curriculum designed for SDUSD.

The five-week curriculum, created by the Cesar Chavez Foundation, takes a holistic approach through the philosophy of teaching the hearts and minds of students, instilling a sense of pride in their own cultures and respect for other cultures, as they learn about Cesar Chavez and his core values, such as ¡Sí Se Puede! The Chavez Foundation and San Diego Unified teams co-facilitated training for nearly 800 educators on the summer curriculum, including a keynote address by CCF President and Cesar Chavez’ son, Paul Chavez.

“Our work is anchored in Cesar Chavez’s deep belief that, You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride,” said Dr. Celia Garcia Alvarado, Executive Vice President of Education for the Cesar Chavez Foundation. “All students benefit from culturally responsive programs that educate both their hearts and minds, and we are very grateful for the opportunity to partner with San Diego Unified to support their Level Up Academic Program.”

The Chavez Foundation’s Education Fund is dedicated to building a just society by educating the hearts and minds of students through culturally responsive, diverse products and services. The Education Fund partners with schools and districts, offering curricula and academic support services, with a focus on under-resourced communities.