06
December
2011
|
11:37 AM
America/Los_Angeles

Math for America Selects CSUSM Student for 2011 Fellowship Program

CSUSM College of Education, Health and Human Services student Leslee Howe has been selected as a 2011 Math for America San Diego Noyce Fellow, according to Barbara Edwards, executive director of Math for America San Diego (MfA SD). Now in its second year, MfA SD is a non-profit organization dedicated to significantly improving mathematics education in San Diego County public secondary schools by providing significant financial support and encouragement to new exemplary mathematics teachers.“Leslee was chosen from a large and competitive applicant pool,” Edwards said. “She now belongs to a new corps of future teachers dedicated to improving mathematics achievement in our local schools.” MfA SD is welcoming six fellows to the program this year.Supported through a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the five-year MfA SD Noyce Fellowship provides financial and professional support to promising mathematics teachers. MfA SD Fellows receive a full tuition scholarship for credential coursework at a partner university, a $15,000 annual stipend each year, individualized support from a mentor teacher and extensive professional development opportunities. Dr. Guershon Harel, professor of mathematics at the University of California, San Diego is principal investigator of the NSF grant.Howe graduated with a B.S. degree in Mathematics in 2010 from Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), San Diego, CA. She was a Dean’s List member at PLNU from 2006-2010. Howe is a 2006 graduate of South Pasadena High School in South Pasadena, CA. She currently resides in Oceanside, CA.“Good math teachers are able to connect mathematics to real life, are patient and develop a strong rapport with their students,” Howe said. “I am proud to be a Math for America San Diego Noyce Fellow and excited to become a teacher.”After obtaining their teaching credential at CSUSM Howe will receive placement assistance from a partner school district to begin her mathematics teaching career in an area high needs high school.About California State University San MarcosCalifornia State University San Marcos combines the ambiance of a mid-sized, personal, modern campus with the unequaled value of the California State University. Since its founding in 1989, the campus has distinguished itself. Students benefit from the latest facilities and equipment, a superb faculty that enjoys teaching, and a rigorous academic program that prepares students for a successful life in and out of the workplace. A recent survey reported that our annual spending in the region was $161 million, generating a total impact of $307 million on the regional economy. 85 percent of CSUSM’s alumni stay in the region. CSU San Marcos is located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the city of San Marcos. It is fifteen miles east of the ocean; just thirty miles north of downtown San Diego.About Math for America San DiegoMath for America San Diego is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving mathematics education in San Diego County high schools. Part of the national Math for America network, Math for America San Diego's mission is to attract, train and retain highly qualified math teachers dedicated to transforming math learning and achievement in San Diego secondary schools.Since 2008, MfA SD has awarded fellowships to 39 promising math teachers. Math for America San Diego is the recipient of two National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teaching Scholarship Program awards. Through continued public and private support, Math for America San Diego plans to add 60 exemplary mathematics teachers to area high schools by 2015.MfA SD is a consortium of California State University San Marcos, San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego and five local school districts - Escondido Union High School District, Grossmont Union High School District, Oceanside Unified High School District, San Diego Unified School District and Vista Unified School District. MfA SD partner universities and districts recognize the importance of Math for America San Diego in the San Diego region and work closely to address the critical need for effective mathematics teachers and improvement in students’ understanding of mathematics. For more information visit: www.mathforamerica.org/sandiego .About Math for AmericaFounded in 2004 by Jim Simons and a group of mathematicians, business people and educators, Math for America is a private nonprofit organization with a mission to improve math education in secondary public schools in the US by recruiting, training and retaining outstanding mathematics teachers. With sites in New York City, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, Berkeley, Utah and Washington, DC, Math for America has two programs: Fellowship, where recent college graduates and mid-career professionals make a five-year commitment to teach math in public schools, and Master Teacher Fellowship, where exceptional public secondary school math teachers are rewarded with a five-year Fellowship. Both programs provide professional development training and generous stipends for a corps of highly qualified math teachers dedicated to improving student performance and achievement. For more information, visit www.mathforamerica.org.