6th Annual 'Math to Careers' conference
Posted on October 4, 2011Lakewood, WA – It’s titled, "Math is what you do” and for middle schoolers, math may be the deciding factor if they graduate from high school and go to college. "Kids decide early,” said Janet Holm, outreach manager and math conference coordinator at Clover Park Technical College. “I visit more than 80 schools in our region and teens often tell me if they are college bound. Math gives them confidence. It is a big part of a student’s success in high school and beyond,” said Holm.
The event, on October 6, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., will draw 1,200 students from Clover Park, Eatonville, and Bethel School Districts. Students will participate in 36 real-world math workshops like the Puget Sound Energy Wildhorse Wind and Solar Facility, Sumo Robotics, and the City of Tacoma’s EnviroChallenger. Other participants include, The Home Depot, West Pierce Fire and Rescue, the Lakewood Police Department, Adriatic Grill, the Port of Tacoma, and more.
Using campus-wide workshops, hands-on exercises, face-to-face interactions, and small group activities, Clover Park instructors and community and business partners will showcase how math skills are vital to a successful career.
High school career counselors will be on site to meet with 8th graders and talk about the transition from middle school to high school. Students will have a chance to meet with traditional high school counselors while exploring non-traditional options such as the Lakewood Career Academy, Pierce County Skills Center, and Northwest Career and Technical High School.
“The goal is for students to understand there are many options for high school and dropping out is not one of them,” said Holm.
Nationally acclaimed speaker Dr. Arthur Benjamin, “The Human Calculator,” will inspire and entertain students during an amazing, “Mental Calculation” presentation. Dr. Benjamin will demonstrate and explain his secrets for performing rapid mental calculations faster than a calculator. Kicking off the event will be a math rap video titled, “Math is What You Do” geared for the younger audience, produced by Zach Holm, graduate of Emerald Ridge High School who now attends WSU.
The video is available on YouTube in QuickTime, AVI and/or MP3 formats. Great photo opportunities exist as students will be participating in hands-on projects.
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