Following a successful model established by the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, the North Bay Leadership Council is offering an algebra academy to seventh and eighth graders this summer.

For a week beginning Aug. 1, the students will spend two hours learning algebraic concepts and then move on to spend time with scientists, engineers, financial experts, designers and other professionals to see how math and science concepts are used in the real world, according to organizers.

The concept is modeled after the Mike Hauser Algebra Academy in Santa Rosa. To read about the program, click here: http://bit.ly/pDorbo and here http://bit.ly/oUtWge.

The North Bay Leadership Council has put added focus on local education issues and in 2010 made Sonoma County’s rates of college readiness among its high school graduates the focus of a business community forum. Only one in four graduates exit  Sonoma County high schools having completed the courses required to apply for a four-year college:  http://bit.ly/qEmUk9 

Those numbers lag behind statewide rates and have drawn the attention of both educators and business leaders.

The five organizations hosting the students for a week are the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Infineon Raceway, Novato Sanitary District, North Marin Water District and Redwood Credit Union.

The leadership council plans to expand the program beyond Novato next summer.

(Visited 2 times, 1 visits today)