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.
